Eshwarappa to lose RDPR, Ashok home?

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Just forty days after Jagadish Shettar was sworn in as CM along with a full fledged cabinet, a reshuffle of portfolios is on the cards with the hint coming from deputy chief minister K.S. Eshwarappa. Mr Eshwarappa told reporters that he may not be holding charge of the rural development and panchayat raj(RDPR) portfolio in the remaining nine months of his tenure. The portfolio may go to Kannada and culture minister Govind Karjol.

Sources maintained that the reshuffle was being done under pressure from former CM D.V. Sadananda Gowda who is uncomfortable with the fact that most plum portfolios have gone to loyalists of his bete noire, B.S. Yeddyurappa. What could cause some heartache to the CM is Eshwarappa’s reported demand that if he was stripped off a portfolio, so should deputy chief minister R. Ashok. This could mean goodbye to the crucial home portfolio for Mr Ashok.

Mr Eshwarappa also said that the party top brass will appoint a new BJP state president soon. He denied reports that top BJP leaders, Sadananda Gowda and party general secretary Ananth Kumar were taking out tours of drought hit areas on their own because they did not see eye to eye with B.S. Yeddyurappa. Sadananda Gowda will embark on his tour from August 28 while Ananth Kumar will start his in a couple of days.