Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah leaves industry portfolio, RV Deshpande to take charge

BENGALURU: With the Congress high command reportedly expressing unhappiness over Karnataka's performance on the industry front, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has divested himself of the portfolio and handed it over to senior minister R V Deshpande. Deshpande, 68, is Karnataka’s longest serving industries minister, as he held the portfolio from 1994 to 2004, under three chief ministers — H D Deve Gowda and J H Patel from the Janata Dal and S M Krishna, from the Congress.

Industry captains, of late, have been expressing much unhappiness at the lack of access to the CM. Some members reportedly even went to the extent of complaining to pro-industry senior Congress leaders including AICC Karnataka incharge Digvijay Singh about Siddaramaiah’s “lack of interest” in industrial investment. With Rahul Gandhi recently painting Karnataka as the flagship to showcase “good Congress administration,” the perceived lack of performance on the industry front has reportedly been seen as a blot on the Siddaramaiah government.

“There has been much talk and also some indirect advice to Siddaramaiah that a dynamic minister to oversee industrial investment is necessary. Deshpande’s record in getting investments is good and he has a good relationship with not only industry captains, but also the Congress High Command,” a senior leader, who declined to be named, told ET.

The official reason for handing over the industries portfolio is that Siddaramaiah wants to concentrate on the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike elections, which is to be held on August 28. Rahul Gandhi, during his recent visit, had emphasised the importance of winning Bengaluru for Congress, as all three MPs and most of MLAs from the city are from BJP. The outgoing civic body was also ruled by BJP.

Siddaramaiah also holds the Bengaluru city development portfolio. “He wants to ensure that things go according to plan and win the city back for the Congress. However, there is a global investment meet planned in November for which he has to concentrate on industries and he felt he can’t do both. So he decided to give this portfolio to someone who knows industries,” PWD minister H C Mahadevappa told ET.