Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa has done a cabinet reshuffle for the third time in the last five days and is still struggling to douse disgruntlement among his partymen since he inducted seven new ministers in his cabinet nine days ago.
On January 21, he carried out his first reshuffle. Less than 24 hours of allocating portfolios and effecting minor reshuffle to his cabinet on January 21 again on January 22, he reallocated portfolios to a few ministers.
On January 25, in less than five days Sudhakar got back his Medical Education portfolio that was taken from him and allocated to J. C. Madhuswamy, who had been advocating that both portfolios - Medical Education and Health should remain with one minister to tackle the Covid -19 pandemic.
In this exercise, Madhuswamy's portfolios have been changed thrice in the last five days.
Madhuswamy has now been assigned Tourism, Ecology and Environment departments. He was given Medical Education, Kannada and Culture departments, when the portfolios were first reallocated on January 21, while being divested of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation and Minor Irrigation portfolios.
Pleasing disgruntled leaders
On the very next day, January 22, when minor changes were made and portfolios were reallocated, Madhuswamy, who was sulking after major portfolios were taken back, was given Haj and Wakf Department along with Medical Education, while he was relieved of Kannada and Culture.
Minister Anand Singh has been given the charge of Infrastructure Development Department and Haj and Wakf. He was on January 21 assigned the Tourism, Environment and Ecology departments, while being divested of the Forest Department.
Even prior to taking out his cabinet expansion on January 14, Yediyurappa had asserted that he had carried out the exercise after careful consultations with the party and the central leadership and he had stated that same thing that he consulted with party central leaders prior to the allocation portfolios newly seven new ministers into his cabinet.
Even after the third round of reallocation of portfolios, there is no clarity over whether this will be the last reshuffle or more changes can be expected in the coming days as some are continuing to grumble.
(With inputs from IANS)
