All's not well in the HD Kumaraswamy led Congress-JD(S) cabinet in Karnataka! After several MLAs from the Congress party expressed their dissatisfaction over portfolio allocation, reports suggest that two senior JD(S) ministers are miffed over the portfolios allotted to them following the recent cabinet expansion.
JD(S) sources said GT Deve Gowda, who has been allotted Higher Education, and CS Puttaraju, who got Minor Irrigation in the portfolio allocation on Friday, are unhappy about their ministries.
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GT Deve Gowda, who emerged as a giant killer, defeating former chief minister Siddaramaiah in Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru in the May 12 assembly polls, and Puttaraju, who vacated his Lok Sabha seat and won the Melukote assembly segment, were eyeing key portfolios, including Transport.
DC Thammanna, a relative of JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, being given the Transport Department is also said to be one of the reasons for their discontent.
Meanwhile, supporters of both the ministers held protests in Mysuru and Mandya, the districts they hail from, demanding key portfolios for their leaders.
Reacting to the issue, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said he has seen reports about such disgruntlement only in the media and no one has expressed their dissatisfaction with him personally.
"Some people will have the wish to work in certain departments, but in every department, there is an opportunity to work efficiently. We have to work efficiently.
"Can everyone be given the portfolio they wish for?" the chief minister asked, adding, "is there a better department than Higher Education and Minor Irrigation to work?"
On reported comments by G T Deve Gowda about him being given Higher Education, when he was just studied till the eighth standard, the chief minister said, "What have I studied? I'm working as the chief minister.
"Should I give Finance?"....there will be demand for certain ministries, but certain decisions are made internally in the party," he told reporters in Bengaluru, adding that such wishes of becoming a minister first and then wanting certain specific portfolios are common.
Kumaraswamy had on Friday allocated portfolios after a hard bargain between the coalition partners.
The portfolio allocation has been made in line with the power-sharing agreement.
The development in the JD(S) has come even as dissident activities of the MLAs intensified in the Congress over not getting ministerial berths.
(With PTI inputs)
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