No BDA, No Charge: Krishna Byre Gowda Puts Conditions on Bengaluru Development Portfolio

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is facing renewed trouble within his Cabinet as disagreement over portfolio allocations triggers fresh unease among ministers in Bengaluru. The issue centres on the Bengaluru Development portfolio which has now become the focal point of internal friction within the Congress government.

The latest development comes at a time when Karnataka Minister Krishna Byre Gowda who has been allotted the Bengaluru Development portfolio but has not yet assumed charge. The minister is understood to be hesitant over the structure of the department and the exclusion of urban agencies such as Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) from its control.

It is learnt that Krishna Byre Gowda is seeking clarity on whether the portfolio in its current form will allow effective handling of Bengaluru's large scale infrastructure responsibilities. He is also believed to have concerns over coordination with agencies including Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) which plays an important role in the city's transport system.

The Bengaluru Development portfolio has already been at the centre of political tension within the ruling Congress. Senior leader Ramalinga Reddy had earlier resigned from his ministerial position after being assigned the Irrigation portfolio instead of Bengaluru Development. He later withdrew his resignation following intervention from the party leadership.

Now, the same portfolio has once again triggered dissatisfaction this time from the minister currently assigned to it. Krishna Byre Gowda is learnt to have travelled to New Delhi along with MLA Rizwan Arshad to take up the matter with the Congress high command. He is expected to meet senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal to seek clarity on the department's structure and scope.

Before leaving for Delhi, Krishna Byre Gowda met DK Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha and conveyed his reservations over taking charge. During the meeting he is understood to have demanded that agencies such as BDA, BMRDA and BMRCL be brought under the Bengaluru Development portfolio for administrative clarity. He is said to have conveyed that he would assume charge only after the issue is resolved.

He is also believed to have indicated that if the portfolio structure remains unchanged he may opt for an alternative department with Revenue being one of the options under discussion.

The Bengaluru Development portfolio is considered one of the most powerful departments in Karnataka as it oversees urban planning and infrastructure execution in the rapidly expanding capital city. It covers roads flyovers tunnels lakes stormwater drains land development and urban expansion and works closely with multiple civic bodies.

With Bengaluru's infrastructure demands rising and internal discussions continuing within the Congress leadership attention is now on whether the matter will be resolved quickly or lead to further realignment within the Cabinet in the coming days.