Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 26: With Congress-JD(S) agreeing to split the 34 ministerial berths on the 22:12 ratio, Congress is likely to keep two key ministerial berths, Home and Energy while JD(S) is likely to take PWD and Revenue.
A senior Congress MLA said that the list of portfolios has already been drawn and key departments have been divided by the key parties. After Kumaraswamy won the floor test on Friday, a meeting was held between the alliance partners with CM and his brother HD Revanna representing JD(S) and former CM Siddaramaiah, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal and Deputy CM DR G Parameshwara from Congress.
The Congress leaders may proceed to Delhi on Saturday or after Rajarajeshwari Nagar poll on May 28 to meet party’s top brass for final decision on portfolios and the date of the ministry expansion.
Sources reveal that both parties will share education with one party being in-charge of primary and secondary and another taking up higher education. They also add that JD(S) has asked for other key portfolios such as Finance and Water Resources.
While majority of the ministerial berths may be taken by Congress party veterans, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has asked party high command to include second and third line of state party leadership which includes leaders like U T Khader, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Krishna Byre Gowda and Priyank Kharge.
Subject to former CM Siddaramaiah and CM Kumaraswamy, keeping their differences at bay for a healthy coalition, Dr Yathindra, son of former CM Siddaramaiah getting ministerial berth cannot be ruled out.
From JD(S), experienced leaders like D Revanna, CS Puttaraju, AH Vishwanath, A T Ramaswamy, Basavaraj Horatti, Bandeappa Kashempur and G T Deve Gowda are likely to get ministerial berths.
Among Congress names of leaders such as RV Deshpande, Shyamanur Shivashankarappa, Ramalinga Reddy, SR Patil, HK Patil, Priyank Kharge, Laxmi Hebbalkar, Roopa Sashidhar are making rounds.
While Congress is trying to keep a balance between the young and old leaders, they are also finding it difficult in accommodating Muslim leaders. It is said that minority leaders such as R Roshan Baig, Rahim Khan, Tanveer Sait and Zameer Ahmed Khan are seeking berths.
Most likely, the portfolios of the ministers will be announced after May 28 polling in Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency.