Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 21: As per information, Dr G Parameshwara will be divested of the home portfolio he holds now within one or two days. The resignation letter tendered by him will be forwarded to the governor with recommendation to accept the same by the chief minister in a day or two, it is learnt.

In the light of this development, speculation is rife within the Congress circles about the likely successor for the outgoing home minister. The possibility of Siddaramaiah retaining the portfolio with himself or giving it to a new incumbent is being discussed.

Some sources claim that Siddaramaiah wanted Dr G Parameshwara to continue in this department for a few more months. He had indicated this desire to Parameshwara a few times as many of the senior ministers are not prepared to shoulder the responsibility of managing home ministry by demitting the current departments. But Parameshwara told the chief minister, it is said, that having resigned from the department, the bureaucracy has got clear signal about his imminent exit and therefore it would be difficult for him to exercise control over them. As Parameshwara told Siddaramaiah in clear terms that he would like to be relieved from home ministry, his resignation letter is being sent to the governor with recommendation, sources said.

Sources close to the chief minister claim that Siddaramaiah has decided to retain home ministry with himself for the present, as senior ministers are reluctant to take over this ministry. So he will most probably be in charge of this department till the ministry is expanded. Although Siddaramaiah wanted PWD minister, Mahadevappa, who is close to him, to handle home ministry, Mahadevappa expressed his reservation to take charge of this new ministry. As per information, K J George, former home minister, has vehemently opposed the idea of making him the next home minister. Although the party high command wants the chief minister to check whether this department can be given to energy minister, D K Shivakumar, the chief minister is not willing do this, it is said.

Names of senior minister, R V Deshpande and H K Patil, also came up for consideration, but both of them are reluctant to take the home department in exchange for the current departments they are holding. At the same time, they are willing to take the home ministry if it is given as additional portfolio, sources say. But Siddaramaiah is not interested to give home, a prominent ministry, as an additional portfolio, sources said.

Therefore, it is said that Siddaramaiah is mulling the options of either managing the home department on his own with the help of adviser to home minister, Kempaiah, or changing portfolios of some senior ministers and entrusting home ministry to one among them. We will have to wait for a couple of days more before this million dollar question is cracked.