Ministers’ lobbying delays final stamp on portfolios in Karnataka

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is tipped to be in charge of Bengaluru City Development and water resources, according to a list of portfolios that was kept ready late on Saturday night amid hectic lobbying by Cabinet members who demanded better departments.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah found himself in the middle of hectic back-for-forth, which delayed finalising the list of portfolios as some ministers expressed unhappiness over what they were being given.

Shivakumar, who represents Kanakapura, may overtake six ministers from Bengaluru in bagging the prized portfolio to manage the state capital.

G Parameshwara may be the new home minister, a portfolio he had between 2015 and 2017.

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Siddaramaiah's aide K J George is being considered as the energy minister, a portfolio that is key to fulfil the Congress's guarantee of providing up to 200 units of free power to all households.

Senior minister H K Patil could be minister for law and tourism while M B Patil's name is slated for the industries and infrastructure development portfolios.

Priyank Kharge is all set to reprise his role as IT/BT minister along with handling Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR), according to the list that is yet to be finalised.

First-time minister Madhu Bangarappa is being seen to take up primary & secondary education whereas Dr Sharanaprakash Patil may get medical education, a responsibility he had in the earlier Siddaramaiah government. Dr M C Sudhakar might become the new higher education minister.

According to the list, senior minister K H Muniyappa would oversee the rollout of the Anna Bhagya scheme as the food & civil supplies minister.

Krishna Byre Gowda is likely to become revenue minister. Ramalinga Reddy may get to head the transport department amid speculation that he was not keen on this portfolio since he had handled it before.

The plum Public Works Department may fall in the lap of Satish Jarkiholi whereas his fellow Belagavi minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, the lone woman in the Cabinet, is expected to be given charge of women & child development.

Another Siddaramaiah aide H C Mahadevappa, a Dalit, is being asked to take up the responsibility of social welfare.

As expected, Siddaramaiah is likely to keep with himself the finance department.

According to sources, the final list of portfolios is expected to be notified on Monday.