Karnataka govt allocates portfolios, Shivakumar retains BDA, BMRDA
Bengaluru, Aug 12
The Congress government in Karnataka on Wednesday finally allocated portfolios to the newly sworn‑in ministers, a day ahead of the Monsoon Session, and also reshuffled the portfolios of senior ministers who had taken charge along with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
R. Prabhu Shankar, Special Secretary to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, sent the list approved by the Governor to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.
Chief Minister Shivakumar has retained Finance, Cabinet Affairs, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), Intelligence, Information, Law, Justice and Human Rights, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation, Agriculture Marketing, the Commissionerate of Town and Country Planning, all urban local bodies falling under the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), and all unallocated portfolios.
Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda had strongly demanded the BDA and BMRDA portfolios.
B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan has been allotted Housing. During the Siddaramaiah government, he handled the Waqf and Minority Welfare departments.
Ramalinga Reddy's portfolio has been changed to Forest, Ecology and Environment. He had refused to take charge of Water Resources, demanding Bengaluru Development, and had even submitted his resignation letter to the Chief Minister.
Lakshman Savadi has been given Cooperation, excluding Agriculture Marketing. Savadi, who had served as Deputy Chief Minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, joined the Congress in 2023 after being denied a ticket by the BJP.
Rudrappa Manappa Lamani has been allotted Sugar and Textiles. Lamani had earlier served as Deputy Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly.
K.H. Muniyappa has been given Social Welfare, instead of Food and Civil Supplies.
Shivaraj Tangadagi has been given Backward Classes Welfare and Kannada and Culture.
U.T. Khader retains Health and Family Welfare and has been given additional responsibility for Minority Welfare, Haj, and Waqf.
T. Raghu Murthy has been made Minister for ST Welfare.
Ajay Singh has been allotted Minor Irrigation and Science and Technology.
Cheluvarayaswamy has been given Major and Minor Irrigation.
Madhu Bangarappa continues with Primary and Secondary Education.
Basavaraj Raya Reddy has been given Higher Education.
Shivalinge Gowda has been given Excise.
Puttaranga Shetty has been given Animal Husbandry and Sericulture.
Vijayananda Kashappanavar has been allotted Small Scale Industries and Public Enterprises.
Santosh Lad has been allotted Labour and Employment.
K.S. Basavanthappa has been allotted Muzrai, Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport.
S.S. Mallikarjun continues with Mines and Geology and Horticulture.
Rizwan Arshad has been given Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.
Narendra Swamy has been given Agriculture.
H.C. Balakrishna has been allotted Municipal Administration.
B. Nagendra has been given Planning and Statistics.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Krishna Byre Gowda demanded BDA for a reason—he's been the face of Bengaluru development. But Congress high command wants CM to hold all the key cards. Internal factionalism will hurt governance, mark my words.
Ramalinga Reddy resigned and still didn't get Bengaluru Development? 😒 Karnataka politics is a maze. Giving him Forest when he clearly wanted urban planning seems like a slap. Meanwhile, Zameer Khan gets Housing—let's see how that goes.
The real worry is whether these ministers will focus on governance. Shivakumar holding Finance, BDA, BMRDA, and unallocated portfolios—that's too much concentration of power. The CM should delegate more, not micromanage everything. Bengaluru needs urgent action on water and traffic.
Good to see Savadi getting Cooperation—his experience from the BJP days might help. But removing Agriculture Marketing from Cooperation seems like a downgrade. Also, why is Muniyappa shifted from Food and Civil Supplies to Social Welfare? Seems like a demotion.
Honest question: will the new ministers even have time to learn their portfolios before the next election? 😅 The real test is whether Bangaloreans see road repairs, better public transport, and less flooding this rainy season. Otherwise, all this portfolio allocation is just political theatre.
K