A week after expanding his cabinet, Karnataka Chief Minister (CM) B S Yediyurappa allocated portfolios to the seven new inductees and also effected a reshuffle of the departments of some ministers. CM had expanded his 17-month-old cabinet on January 13.
There is resentment among some Ministers about portfolios allocated to them and are likely to meet the Chief Minister in this regard. Also, several MLAs had expressed serious reservations about MLCs not elected by the people being made Ministers, lack of representation with most Ministers still from Bengaluru and Belagavi districts, and also on their ‘seniority or sacrifice’ not being considered. There are now 33 Ministers in the cabinet, whose total strength is 34.