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Congress MLA Abbayya Prasad on Sunday said that she is hopeful of being chosen for a ministerial post, adding that he expects to be included in the second list of cabinet ministers.
"I am a candidate for the post of minister. In the first list of ministers, the senior leaders have been accommodated. I am expecting my name to be included in the second list," Prasad told reporters. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, in the first batch expansion, allocated portfolios among 13 ministers in his Cabinet with immediate effect, while retaining key departments including Finance, Cabinet Affairs, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Intelligence, and all unallocated portfolios. The allocation was issued through an official notification from the Cabinet Affairs and Personnel and Administrative Reforms Secretariat, invoking powers under Clause (3) of Article 166 of the Constitution of India. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara was assigned Revenue and Sports, while Priyank Kharge will handle Home (excluding Intelligence), IT & BT, and e-Governance. Satish Jarkiholi was given Public Works, and KH Muniyappa will oversee Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. MB Patil has been allotted Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development, while KJ George received Energy and Tourism portfolios. Krishna Byre Gowda will manage Greater Bengaluru Development, including multiple civic bodies such as the Bengaluru City Corporations, BWSSB, and BMRCL. Eshwar Khandre was assigned Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Yathindra Siddaramaiah Urban Development (excluding BDA, BMRDA, GBA), Byrathi Suresh Transport, and Sharan Prakash Patil Education Development. Meanwhile, Ramalinga Reddy resigned just two days after taking oath as minister, having been assigned the Major and Medium Irrigation portfolio. However, a day later, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said Reddy has withdrawn his resignation following discussions with party leaders. "Ramalinga Reddy ji is very important to the Congress party. His experience is invaluable. We spoke to him; there had been some misunderstanding. He has withdrawn his resignation and will continue to serve as a loyal soldier of the party and as a minister," Surjewala said. Earlier, Congress MLA TB Jayachandra indicated that a second batch of ministers is expected after June 18, once the Rajya Sabha elections are completed. "With the Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha elections continuing until June 18, a second batch of cabinet formation is likely only after that. Then only there will be a full government," he told ANI. Meanwhile, in Tumkur, ST Somashekhar, MLA from Yeshwanthpur constituency, said he plans to leave the BJP by the next 2028 elections. Speaking about this in Nonavinakere of Tiptur taluk of Tumkur district, he said, "I was an MLA in the Congress first, and then I was a member of the BJP twice. Now the BJP has expelled me. Yatnal and Hebbar from the party. I used to meet Siddaramaiah when he was the Chief Minister for the development of the constituency. Now I am meeting DK Shivakumar. So far, the party high command, even the BJP state president, has not contacted me. There are Rajya Sabha elections. No one from the BJP has contacted me. They have no intention of leaving. So far, I have not spoken to Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar about political issues. I have kept both feet out of the BJP." He said that he will vote for whichever party he supports in the 2028 elections. (ANI)
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