The Hindu : 9 new Ministers in Krishna team

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

9 new Ministers in Krishna team

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE JUNE 27. The Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna, acted finally bringing about the much-delayed and discussed major overhaul of his 33-month-old Ministry by appointing nine new Ministers, dropping five, and promoting one. The Governor, V.S.Rama Devi, administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 10 Ministers in the glass house of the Raj Bhavan watched by a large gathering here this morning.

Those dropped from the 44-strong Ministry (including the Chief Minister) were, T.B.Jayachandra (Agriculture), A.M.Hindasgeri (Labour), S.R.Kashappanavar (Small-Scale Industries), and B.B.Chimmankatti (Urban Development) (all Cabinet rank) and the Minister of State for Power, Veerakumar Patil. While the Minister of State for Higher Education and Medical Education, G.Parameshwar, was promoted to Cabinet rank, the new Ministers appointed today were, V.S.Koujalgi, H.M.Revanna, and K.Ramalinga Reddy (Cabinet rank) and Basavaraj Patil, Vasanth Saliyan, M.L.Ustad, K.N.Gaddi, Raju Gowda, and K.B.Koliwad.

The Governor administered the oath of office and secrecy in Kannada to all the Ministers. Except Dr. Parameshwar who took the oath by affirmation, the others swore in the name of God. The swearing in ceremony which started 17 minutes late at 10.47 a.m., lasted 15 minutes. While the Cabinet rank Ministers were sworn in individually, the six Ministers of State were sworn in as a group.

With today's changes, the strength of the Ministry has gone up from 44 to 48. Mr. Krishna's major achievement through today's exercise has been in terms of geographical representation with all the 27 districts having berths in the Ministry. It did not go unnoticed that the four hitherto unrepresented districts, Chamarajanagar, Haveri, Bidar, and Udupi were given only Ministers of State — Mr. Raju Gowda, Mr. Koliwad, Mr. Basavaraj Patil, and Mr. Saliyan respectively.

The changes have come about after prolonged consultation with the AICC and even brinkmanship which had created the impression that the Chief Minister was hesitant to strike despite there being no challenge to his leadership. The aspirants had lobbied for long here and in Delhi. Despite today's expansion, there are many hopefuls among legislators left out of the Ministry.

At least two of the new Cabinet Ministers have gatecrashed into the Government through threats of sowing dissension in the legislature party. They are, H.M.Revanna, President of the Bangalore Urban District Congress Committee, and K.Ramalinga Reddy, President of the Bangalore City District Congress Committee. The surprise in the exclusions from the Ministry is over that of Mr. T.B.Jayachandra and it is attributed to factionalism in the Tumkur District Congress and his rivalry with Dr. Parameshwara. He was once close to the Chief Minister. The dropping of Mr. Kashappanavar and Mr. Hindasgeri was on the cards for sometime. The former was involved in some major controversies including a road accident and a tiff with the Maharashtra police. Mr. Veerakumar Patil was one of those prominent in playing host to the Congress and NCP legislators and ministers from Maharashtra. The appointment of Mr. Ramalinga Reddy as a Cabinet Minister has also raised eyebrows as there are other more senior and better endowed ministers and legislators eligible for Cabinet status. Mr. Revanna was Minister for Health and Family Welfare for hardly a fortnight in the Veerappa Moily Cabinet in 1992. He was dropped after it came to be known that he was an accused in a case of rioting.

Those becoming Ministers for the first time are, Mr. G.Raju Gowda (Hanur), Mr. Krishnappa Bheemappa Koliwad (Ranebennur), and Mr. Kallappa Nagappa Gaddi (Navalgund). With today's expansion and exclusions, the caste composition of the Ministry is Lingayats (8), Vokkaligas six (including Chief Minister), Muslims five, Scheduled Castes (Right) four, Scheduled Castes (Left), Scheduled Tribes, Brahmins, Idigas, and Reddy Vokkaliga two each, Kurubas three, Bunt, Billava, Rajput, Reddy (Telugu), Maratha, Kamma, Kodava, Kuruhinashetty (Devanga), Golla, Bestha, Lambani, and Christian one each.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

9 new Ministers in Krishna team

I wanted young faces: Krishna

Migratory birds avoiding Dakshina Kannada

Prakash Kyarakatti is Hubli Mayor

T.B. Chikkanna elected Mysore Mayor

Two shot at in Mysore bar

North Karnataka hard done by

July 23 deadline for Haj applications