Bengaluru, Aug 7: Though Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced that the allocation of portfolios would be allocated to the new inductees yesterday itself, there has been no official word on it so far.
Speaking to media persons, Bommai had said, “Surely, the allocation of portfolios would be done on August 6 itself.”
He had also claimed that he has been given free hand by the central leadership to allocate portfolios to the inductees, who were sworn in as ministers on Wednesday by Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot.
He also had said there was no pressure from the incumbent ministers to allocate them portfolios of their choice.
However, the delay in officially declaring the portfolio allocations has only fuelled speculations that Bommai is finding this exercise a tricky affair.
Bommai is walking a tightrope and finding it difficult to keep the central leadership and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa satisfied.
The central leadership would want to give responsibilities to new faces to groom them, but it will be not a cakewalk for Bommai to do so after the non-inclusion of Yediyurappa’s MP-son BY Vijayendra in the ministry. It would be difficult for him to reject the Lingayat strongman’s suggestions.
Moreover, Bommai also has the task cut out to satisfy those who were ministers in the previous dispensation by fulfilling their reported wishes to take up plum portfolios. Some others including Umesh Katti are hopeful of retaining their previous powerful portfolios.
Bommai is expected to keep finance, energy and Bengaluru development portfolios.
Disgruntled aspirants
Meanwhile, the disgruntled legislators who did not get any ministry reportedly held a meeting in Ramesh Jarkiholi’s residence late Thursday evening.
Chief among the disgruntled aspirants are Arvind Bellad and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, besides Jarkiholi, who feel that Bommai had unfairly treated them.
Yediyurappa’s bete noires Bellad, Yatnal and Yogeshwar were expecting plum portfolios, but the central leadership poured water on their dreams.
Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was forced to resign after an alleged sex scandal, was expecting a ministerial berth for his brother Bhalachandra Jarkiholi, but did not happen.
Amidst all this, Bommai is expected to untie the knots of portfolio allocation today.
