Yediyurappa names 3 deputies for Karnataka as new lawmakers get portfolios

Bengaluru, Aug 26: In a first, Karnataka will have three Deputy Chief Ministers as Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday allocated portfolios, more than three weeks after B S Yediyurappa, took oath as chief minister of the state.

Govind Makthappa Karajol, Dr. Ashwath Narayan CN and Laxman Sangappa Savadi have been chosen as Deputy Chief Ministers, while 14 ministers were allocated to various portfolios.

Caste equation

Karjol hails from a Scheduled Caste community, while Ashwath Narayan is a Vokkaliga and Savadi a Lingayat.

All three deputy chief ministers have been allotted additional charges. Deputy CM Karajol to look after Social Welfare, Ashwath Narayan gets Higher Education, IT & BT and Science and Technology and Laxman Sangappa has the additional charge of Transport Ministry.

Other portfolio's

While Jagadish Shettar, a former Chief Minister, has been made the Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, two former Deputy Chief Ministers, K S Eshwarappa and R Ashoka, have been given the charge of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, and Revenue Department respectively.

Senior ST leader B Sriramulu is the Health and Family Welfare Minister, while S Suresh Kumar, a Brahmin, has been given the charge of Primary and Secondary Education, along with Sakala.

Portfolios of other ministers include- V Somanna (Housing), C T Ravi (Tourism, Kannada and Culture), Basavaraj Bommai (Home), Kota Shrinivas Poojari (Muzrai, Fisheries, Ports and Inland Transport), J C Madhuswamy (Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation, Minor Irrigation).

C C Patil has been allotted Mines and Geology, H Nagesh (Excise), Prabhu Chavan (Animal Husbandry), and Shahsikala Jolle (Women and Child Development).

Cabinet woes?

Soon after portfolio allocation, senior BJP leader CT Ravi, who was given the Tourism ministry, has expressed unhappiness over the ministry and has threatened to resign.

Interestingly, Savadi, who has been made the Deputy Chief Minister, is neither a member of the Assembly nor the Council. His induction into the cabinet had created resentment among several senior BJP legislators.

On August 20, 17 MLAs were sworn in as ministers into the Yediyurappa cabinet. Former chief minister, Jagadish Shettar and former deputy chief minister, R Ashoka were part of the list.

The others who part of the list are Govind Karjol, Dr. Ashwath Narayan, K S Eswharappa, B Sreeramulu, Suresh Kumar, V Somanna, C T Ravi, Basavaraj Bommai, K Shrinivas Poojari, J C Madhu Swamy, C C Patil, H Nagesh, Prabhu Chuhan and J Shashikala Annasaheb.