Karnataka CM Shivakumar allocates portfolios to ministers

Bengaluru, Jun 4 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday allocated portfolios to the 13-member Cabinet sworn in a day before, retaining the finance and personnel departments with himself and assigning key ministries to his senior colleagues.

There was however, some discontent over portfolio distribution within the ruling party.

According to the portfolio allocation notified by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Shivakumar will hold finance, and personnel and administrative reforms, besides all other unallocated portfolios.

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara has been entrusted with the revenue department along with youth empowerment and sports, while Priyank Kharge has been allotted home, besides retaining the information technology

and biotechnology department he handled in the previous Siddaramaiah government.

Among the ministers who retained portfolios held in the earlier Siddaramaiah Cabinet, K J George continued with the energy department and was additionally assigned tourism, M B Patil retained the large and medium industries portfolio, Satish Jarkiholi continued as public works minister, K H Muniyappa retained food and civil supplies, while Sharan Prakash Patil continued to hold the medical education portfolio.

Krishna Byre Gowda has been assigned Bengaluru urban development under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), while senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy has been allotted the major and medium portfolio.

Bairathi Suresh will head the transport department, U T Khader has been allotted health, former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra Siddaramaiah, an MLC, got urban development, while Eshwar Khandre was allotted rural development.

Khader had served as the health minister during the previous Siddaramaiah regime from 2013 to 2018. He was also the speaker of the Karnataka Assembly from 2023 to May 2026.

Yathindra’s portfolio includes urban water supply and drainage board, urban infrastructure development and finance corporation, all urban development authorities and local planning authorities excluding the BDA, BMRDA, and GBA commissionerate of town and country planning Earlier in the day, Shivakumar said, “Portfolio allocation has already been completed. The governor will issue a notification tonight.” The chief minister said he followed all the instructions issued by the Congress leadership in finalising the distribution of departments.

Congress sources said the portfolio allocation was delayed due to dissatisfaction among some ministers over the departments offered to them.

Sources indicated that Ramalinga Reddy, the MLA from Bengaluru’s BTM Layout constituency, had been aspiring for the Bengaluru development portfolio. It is learnt that Shivakumar was keen on assigning the department to Krishna Byre Gowda, the MLA from Byatarayanapura.

Reddy had reportedly reminded Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah of an assurance made in 2023 that he would be considered for the portfolio during a future Cabinet reshuffle.

Congress sources said the senior leader openly expressed his displeasure over the issue.

Meanwhile, Shivakumar said Rahul Gandhi would visit Bengaluru for the filing of Rajya Sabha nomination papers by party president Mallikarjun Kharge.

He also said that four candidates for the Legislative Council would file their nominations on Friday, while the name of a fifth candidate would be announced after consultations within the party.

The sources also indicated that a second phase of Cabinet expansion could take place on June 10, though the Congress leadership is yet to officially confirm any schedule. PTI GMS ARI