Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa’s portfolio rejig leaves ministers unhappy

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had to fire-fight a fresh bout of disgruntlement that erupted on Thursday, this time from his own Cabinet colleagues who were disappointed after he reshuffled portfolios and handed out responsibilities for the seven new ministers.

Eight ministers were divested of their existing portfolios to accommodate the new entrants.

After this, senior minister J C Madhuswamy was said to be so miffed that he wanted to quit after the minor irrigation and law portfolios were taken away from him. “I was particular about minor irrigation since I am a farmer myself,” he told reporters, clarifying that he will not resign.

Ministers K Sudhakar, K Gopalaiah and K Narayana Gowda, who were given new portfolios, and M T B Nagaraj, who was unhappy with his portfolio, got into a huddle and decided to raise a complaint with Yediyurappa. They quit the Congress-JD(S) coalition to help the BJP come to power.

Sudhakar, the health minister, is no longer in charge of medical education. Gopalaiah lost food & civil supplies whereas Gowda is not the horticulture minister anymore.

“I was the housing minister, which I quit. I could provide housing for the poor. But what can I do with excise? Nothing,” Nagaraj said. “I have told the CM that I don’t want this. I want a public-oriented portfolio with which I can bring a good name to the party. The CM had assured me that I would be given something better than housing.”

Gopalaiah said he did well as the food & civil supplies minister in the past 11 months. “People of the state, the Opposition and even the media know how I discharged my duty. I want to ask the CM where I went wrong,” the new horticulture and sugar minister said.

A sulking Gowda said he had not done anything to damage the government’s reputation.

The major reshuffle in portfolios was Yediyurappa’s way of trying to keep the new ministers happy.

“It’s not easy to expand the Cabinet and allocate portfolios. It is not easy to satisfy everyone,” Yediyurappa said. “Let them work. After a few days, if they are not happy, we can give them better portfolios.”

Yediyurappa deputed senior ministers R Ashoka and Basavaraj Bommai to broker peace. They got Nagaraj and Gopalaiah to meet the CM.

“There is no disappointment among ministers. Yes, they were upset after the reallocation of portfolios. I spoke to them and everything is okay,” Yediyurappa said.