Bengaluru, Jan 26 (IANS): Hours after, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, has reshuffled his cabinet for the second time in a day on Monday and for the fourth time in the last five days and still he is struggling to douse disgruntlement among his partymen that has erupted since he inducted seven new ministers in his cabinet nine days ago.
In this latest exercise, Yediyurappa has reallocated minor irrigation department to J.C. Madhuswamy whose portfolios have been changed four times in last five days that was divested from on January 21 and given to newly inducted minister, C.P. Yegeshwar.
Yogeshwar has been appointed as Tourism, Ecology and Environment portfolio.
Earlier in the day, Madhuswamy who was assigned Tourism, Ecology and Environment departments in lieu of the Medical Education portfolio that was assigned to him on January 21. On that day he was made Medical Education, Kannada and Culture departments, by taking away Law, parliamentary affairs and minor irrigation portfolios. And on January 22, he was again relieved from Kannada and Culture portfolio and given Haj and Waqf portfolio and on January 25, he was stripped off his portfolios again in hours and allotted minor irrigation again.
On January 21, Yediyurappa carried out his first reshuffle that too making newly inducted seven ministers about a week and as loud grumbling and complaining arose from the ministers those who had defected and joined BJP to pull down the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2019.
Less than 24 hours of allocating portfolios and effecting minor reshuffle to his cabinet on January 21 again on January 22, he reallocated portfolios to few ministers.
On January 25, in less than five days Sudhakar got back his Medical Education portfolio that was taken from him and allocated to J.C. Madhuswamy.
In this exercise, Madhuswamy's portfolios have been changed four times in the last five days.
Even prior to taking out his cabinet expansion on January 14, Yediyurappa had relentlessly asserted that he had carried out exercise after careful consultations with the party and the central leadership and he had stated that same thing that he consulted with party central leaders prior to the allocation portfolios newly seven new ministers into his cabinet.
Even after, fourth round of reallocation of portfolios, still there is no clarity over whether this will be the last reshuffle or more changes can be expected in the coming days as some are continuing to grumble.