The portfolio allocation in the Karnataka cabinet has been altered for the third time in the last six days. While there is no yardstick or rule book being followed to allocate the portfolios in the state, disgruntlement among some of the ministers over their portfolios is said to be the reason for the frequent reshuffling of berths.
In fact, portfolio of J.C. Madhuswamy, one of the senior ministers, has been changed four times in the last six days.
Madhuswamy, who previously held the Law and Parliamentary Affairs ministry (realloted to Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai as additional portfolio) was given Medical Education and Kannada and Culture. Two days later, Madhuswamy was given Haj and Wakf in place of Kannada and Culture, which was given to Forest Minister Arvind Limbavali. On Monday morning, the chief minister reshuffled the portfolios as Health Minister Dr K. Sudhakar was upset over having to part with medical education.
"It is logical and a lot more convenient to have a single minister heading both the health and medical education," reasoned Sudhakar.
Madhuswamy was given two new portfolios—Tourism and Ecology and Environment, which were previously held by Anand Singh. Singh was allocated Infrastructure development and Haj and Wakf. By evening, Madhuswamy was made to swap his portfolios with MLC C.P. Yogeshwar, the minor irrigation minister.
MLC MTB Nagaraj, who had refused to accept Excise portfolio, was given Municipal Administration and Sugar.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister K. Gopalaiah, too, was shunted out of Horticulture and Sugar and within five days, he was given Excise.
The musical chair of ministers is due to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's appease-all policy, perhaps to avoid a fresh rebellion against him. The cabinet expansion on January 13 had triggered revolt by legislators who could not make it to the cabinet. The disgruntled MLAs had alleged "blackmailers" and the "corrupt" had been given preference over the party loyals.
The 33-member state cabinet (with a vacant berth after Independent MLA H. Nagesh was removed from the cabinet) has sure witnessed enough turmoil. Whether the reshuffling of portfolios will finally give impetus for the Yediyurappa government to focus on governance remains to be seen.
