District ministers changed, CM keeps capital

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In an apparent bid to scotch rumours about a possible cabinet reshuffle, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday reshuffled the district in-charge ministers to send out a loud signal to his critics within the ruling party that he is the boss.

According to the new list, the CM retains Bengaluru Urban district, which was being eyed by several senior ministers including R. Ashok, Dr C.N. Ashwatha Narayan and V. Somanna.

The highlight is that most ministers have not been given their native districts, including BJP veteran leader K. S. Eshwarappa who was divested of the charge of his home district Shivamogga and made in-charge of Chikkamagaluru district.

Dr Narayan, who had nearly come to blows with Bengaluru Rural MP D.K. Suresh during an official function last fortnight, was retained as Ramanagara district incharge. There were expectations that the in-charge responsibility of Bengaluru might be passed on to a prominent minister in the wake of the impending elections to BBMP. The decision to maintain the status quo is attributed to the lack of consensus among ministers.

Revenue Minister R. Ashok and Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister J. C. Madhuswamy have not been given responsibility of any district. This has triggered speculation that they may get some other responsibility.

Anand Singh’s efforts to become in-charge minister of his native district, Vijayanagara has not yielded results. He has been made in-charge of Koppal district and divested of the charge of Ballari district. Prominent Nayaka community face of the party and a close aide of the Ballari Reddy brothers, B. Sriramulu has been made the in-charge of his native district, Ballari though he was elected from Chitradurga district. The powerful Reddy brothers had been demanding that Ballari district be given to Mr Sriramulu.

Some of the ministers, including Gopalaiah and B.C. Patil, have been given charge of two districts. The reshuffle is being seen as an effort by the CM to assert himself and also shake up the administrative machinery ahead of a series of polls, including the zilla and taluk panchayat polls and the 2023 Assembly elections.

Of late Mr Bommai has faced severe criticism from his own partymen with some of them launching a whispering campaign demanding ‘leadership change’ citing Mr Bommai’s severe knee problem. Though Mr Bommai had asserted that he could work tirelessly, rumours about his imminent exit have not stopped with a section of leaders demanding that the CM should carry out the reshuffle with by dropping ministers who have been in power for two years.