Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Aug 8: Five days after chief minister D K Shivakumar expanded his cabinet, the newly inducted ministers are still without portfolios, with the deadlock over allocation showing no signs of easing.

Several ministers are reportedly pushing for key departments, while some others have made it clear that they are unwilling to accept the portfolios proposed for them. Adding to the complexity, one ministerial berth under the women’s quota is also yet to be filled.

The situation following the cabinet expansion has not yet settled. Sources said Shivakumar has deliberately held back portfolio allocation, apprehensive that dissatisfaction over the distribution could trigger another round of discontent and make matters more difficult for the government.

The chief minister had reportedly summoned some senior ministers and advised them to retain the departments they had handled earlier. However, sources said some ministers have resisted the proposal, arguing that they cannot return to the relatively insignificant portfolios they held previously and insisting that they be given key departments.

The first-time ministers have also added to the pressure. While some have reportedly been lined up for important portfolios, others have been offered relatively minor departments which, sources said, carry little weight even when compared with some boards and corporations. The disparity has fuelled dissatisfaction among the new entrants.

Sources said the tentative portfolio list could therefore undergo changes before the final allocation.

During the first phase of the cabinet expansion, ministers Krishna Byre Gowda and Ramalinga Reddy had also pressed for changes in their portfolios. Shivakumar managed to persuade Krishna Byre Gowda to accept the arrangement. Ramalinga Reddy, however, has continued to seek a department other than Water Resources.

In a move that appears to have temporarily eased the pressure, Shivakumar allotted districts to all ministers the day after the Cabinet expansion and directed them to assess the situation arising from drought and excessive rainfall and submit reports.

Sources said the chief minister has, by sending the ministers out to the districts, managed to keep the immediate focus away from the unresolved portfolio tussle and, for now, avoid the heat generated by the Cabinet expansion.