Ministers ‘sore’ over allotted portfolios; muzarai added to unhappy Reddy’s transport

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Dissatisfaction is showing among the newly-elected ministers over the allocation of portfolios by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah two days ago.

While most controlled their emotions and shared their agony only with their friends over being given not-so-important portfolios, BTM Layout MLA and senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy openly expressed displeasure after being given the Transport portfolio.

He allegedly went to the extent of threatening to quit. Reddy, who enjoys a big clout with the voters of his constituency, was about to tender his resignation even from the MLA post in the Congress-JDS coalition government. Knowing well this about Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar rushed to his house on Sunday and convinced him to accept the Transport portfolio.

Later, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also spoke to Reddy over the phone and added the Muzarai portfolio against his name. Reddy’s contention is that he had managed the Transport and Home portfolios in the five-year-ruling of the Siddaramaiah government, and was expecting some other “good” portfolio. He kept quiet after Shivakumar promised something important in the coming days.

There seems to be discontent among other ministers too over giving the RDPR Ministry to Priyank Kharge “just because his father happens to be the AICC president”. Senior ministers have been given less-important portfolios, with the allocations not been made based on experience and maturity of the lawmakers, is the common grouse.

In the name of balancing the Cabinet on the lines of caste, religion, region and closeness of the lawmaker concerned with either the CM or DyCM, the portfolios had been allotted. The biggest surprise has been the induction of NS Boseraj into the Cabinet who is neither an MLA nor MLC. Lawmakers identified in the CM Siddaramaiah and DyCM Shivakumar camps claimed injustice for them in the portfolio allocation.

Sources said while Vokkaliga lawmakers have been given plum portfolios, the Lingayats/ Veerashaivas have to be contended with whatever ministry they have got. Presently, the ministers have accepted the portfolios without any murmur, but are sure to make a sound at the right time to put the government in a spot.

No takers

According to highly placed sources, there were no takers for the portfolios attached to the guarantee schemes such as Energy, Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Higher Education, Women and Child Welfare, and Transport.

The Energy portfolio was considered a hot one because of the Congress party’s announcement of giving 200 units of power free to every household. So is it in the case of Transport, because the Congress had promised free ride for women in KSRTC buses from anywhere to anywhere across the State in its election manifesto.

Another turn-off is that of the Higher Education ministry facing the prospect of unemployment allowance to degree and diploma holders who are currently out of job.