by reciprocal arrangement with Star of Mysore
Bangalore, Feb 18: In a surprise move, the Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy last night effected major reshuffle in his Cabinet within hours of the swearing-in ceremony of new Ministers.
The Chief Minister, who had allotted the portfolio of Law and Parliamentary Affairs to D.T. Jayakumar in the afternoon, shifted the Minister to the port-folio of Housing.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti now holds additional charge of Law and Parliamentary Affairs portfolio.
Sources close to the Chief Minister claim that he withdrew the Law and Parliamentary Affairs portfolio from Jayakumar in the wake of media reports questioning the propriety of allotting the Law Ministry to Jayakumar who had surrendered before a Mysore Court only the previous day in a criminal case and secured bail.
Forests for Chennigappa
C. Chennigappa, the trusted lieutenant of the Chief Minister, has been shifted from Agriculture to Forests, Environment and Ecology which was with Bandeppa Kashampur, who will be the new Agriculture Minister.
The Chief Minister has shifted Sharanabasappa Darshanapur from Information, Youth Services and Sports to APMC portfolio.
Keeping the Information portfolio with him the Chief Minister has allotted Youth Services and Sports to Alkod Hanumanthappa who was earlier the Minister for Housing.
Kumaraswamy has also withdrawn the portfolio of Wakfs from Iqbal Ansari who will continue as Labour and Minorities Development.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Govind Karjol has got additional portfolio of Rural Water Supply.
Ports and Fisheries Minister B. Nagaraja Shetty has been shifted to Horticulture.
Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar will hold additional charge of Sugar portfolio.
Following the reshuffle, the Chief Minister will hold the portfolios of Home, Public Works and Energy, Mines and Geology, Urban Development, Information, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Women and Child Development, Wakfs, Science and Technology, IT & BT and Public Sector Undertakings.