Kumaraswamy’s Cabinet expansion on June 6; Siddaramaiah to head co-ordination panel

Bengaluru, Jun 1: Reiterating that there’s no confusion over portfolio sharing, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday, said the expansion of his council of ministers will be done on June 6 at 2 pm.

The two coalition partners, JD(S) and Congress, have come to an agreement on the sharing of portfolios. Accordingly, JD(S) will get key portfolios such as Finance, PWD, Energy and Transport. Congress will get Home, Water Resources, Bengaluru City Development, Industries, Health & Family Welfare and RDPR.

Addressing the media, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal said the Congress has decided to give away the Finance portfolio to the JD(S) in the interest of the country.

Besides, the two parties have set up a co-ordination and monitoring committee for the smooth functioning of the coalition government.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah will head the panel, which will have Kumaraswamy, his deputy G Parameshwara and Venugopal as members.

Congress and JD(S) will also maintain their alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he added.

Rahul speaks to Deve Gowda

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today spoke to JD(S) supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda over the phone, even as the two parties continued to grapple with the ticklish issue of ministry formation in Karnataka.

"Everything has been finalised -- ministry formation, portfolio allocation and common minimum programme. Rahul Ji spoke to Deve Gowda Ji," JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali said.

Gandhi has already spoken on a power-sharing arrangement with his party leaders over the phone from the US where he is with his mother, who has gone for a medical check-up, Congress sources had said in Delhi yesterday.

Ali said the ministry expansion would take place after June 5 because of unavailability of Governor Vajubhai Vala till then.

"The chief minister (H D Kumaraswamy) had sought time for the oath-taking ceremony from the governor, but he informed us that he would not be available in the city from Sunday (June 3). He is attending some important function," he said.

"The governor will be back on the night of June 5. Only after that can we have the swearing-in ceremony," he added.

Kumaraswamy, along with his deputy G Parameshwara, met the governor today to discuss the date for the swearing in.

Ali had said in Delhi yesterday that the parties had five rounds of talks and had decided that the JD(S) would get the finance portfolio.