Karnataka Congress pacifies ministers ahead of portfolio allotment

Bengaluru: The Raj Bhavan will notify the portfolios of all 33 cabinet ministers including that of deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday after governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot returns to Bengaluru.

The Congress leaders spent their Sunday trying to address a sense of let-down and deep anguish among sections of newly inducted ministers and other senior lawmakers who have missed being in the cabinet.

Shivakumar, who is also the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), along with his MP brother DK Suresh, visited his senior cabinet colleague Ramalinga Reddy's residence and persuaded him to accept the Transport portfolio.


After Shivakumar's meeting, Reddy reluctantly agreed to be the Transport minister.

In the same way, G Parameshwar (71), a former deputy CM, negotiated hard for a change in portfolio after it emerged that he was getting the Home portfolio.

Then there are senior leaders including MLAs RV Deshpande, Lakshman Savadi, Vinay Kulkarni, M Krishnappa, NA Haris, Tanveer Sait, HY Meti, TB Jayachandra, Shivalinge Gowda, Ajay Singh, Basavaraj Rayareddy, and Rudrappa Lamani and MLCs BK Hariprasad and Salim Ahmed who have not been able to make the cut.