Now, Krishna Byre Gowda not happy with bifurcation of Bengaluru Development

Just when discontent over allocation of ministerial portfolios was believed to be contained by the Congress, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who has been allocated the Bengaluru Development portfolio, has expressed reservations over not being given Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) along with the portfolio.

“I do not know why the Chief Minister (D.K. Shivakumar) has done this. If there is no complete control over the administration, the system misguides you. The system does not run honourably in Bengaluru as is being thought. If we have to effectively run the administration, it is not possible if the administration is not fully under control. We cannot reach our goal or show results,” Mr. Gowda told a private channel on Monday (June 8). “I have conveyed to the Chief Minister that it will not be good for Bengaluru. Let us see what decision he will take. He and the party high command is there, they will decide.”

During the portfolio allocation, Mr. Shivakumar, who earlier held the Bengaluru Development portfolio, allocated it to Mr. Gowda. But the Chief Minister has kept BDA and BMRDA with himself.

The Congress has been firefighting the discontent over allocation of the portfolio since the D.K. Shivakumar-led Cabinet was sworn in on June 3. While senior Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who took charge on June 8, had publicly aired his discontent and sought the Bengaluru Development portfolio, he had been convinced to take charge of the Water Resources Department. Even K.H. Muniyappa, who had publicly aired his dissatisfaction over allocation of the Food and Civil Supplies department instead of Social Welfare, was also convinced to retain the Food and Civil Supplies department.

Acknowledging that the system did not work like that in the past, Mr. Gowda argued, “You cannot have accountability if the responsibility is divided. There will be inconvenience in working. This is of no use. It will benefit those in the middle and those capable will take advantage. There are many such clever people in Bengaluru.”