With eye on polls, CM makes Revanna Raichur district in-charge

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday appointed Transport Minister H M Revanna the district in-charge minister of Raichur with immediate effect.

The post was held by Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait. In a letter to Siddaramaiah on January 18 Sait had requested that he be relieved from his duties as in-charge of Raichur district to discharge effectively responsibilities of the departments held by him. Sait is also the minorities welfare minister. Sait in his letter stated that the Primary and Secondary Education department has taken up the task of recruiting 10,000 teachers. Besides, the department will have to conduct the SSLC and II PU examinations without any glitches.

However, political circle view the development as the chief minister preparing the ground to contest from a seat in North Karnataka in the Assembly polls. Revanna is considered Siddaramaiah's Man Friday and both belong to the Kuruba community. Revanna played a major role in Siddaramaiah joining the Congress after quitting the JD(S), a decade ago. In the last ministry reshuffle, Siddaramaiah inducted Revanna, an MLC, into the Cabinet to fill the 'Kuruba' quota berth that had fallen vacant after the resignation of Excise Minister H Y Meti over an alleged sleaze video.