After the anxiety over the ministerial berths to MLAs from Mysuru ended with the induction of H.C. Mahadevappa and K. Venkatesh, speculation is rife in political circles over who will be vested with the responsibility of Minister in charge of Mysuru district.
Dr. Mahadevappa, who represents T. Narsipur (reserved) Assembly constituency in Mysuru, and Mr. Venkatesh, who has been elected to the Assembly from Periyapatna constituency in the district, are both considered close aides of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
With Mysuru also happening to be Mr. Siddaramaiah’s home district, his choice for the Minister in charge of the district is keenly awaited.
Also, the person chosen as Minister in charge of the district will also be entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the Dasara festivities, an important cultural festival of the State that attracts nationwide attention and draws tourists from far and wide.
Dr. Mahadevappa, who has already served as Minister in charge of Mysuru district, has experience in conducting the Dasara celebrations earlier.
With representatives from neighbouring Chamarajanagar as well as Kodagu not making it to the Ministry this time, Dr. Mahadevappa and Mr. Venkatesh may also be considered for shouldering the responsibility of the Minister in charge of either Chamarajanagar or Kodagu also. Incidentally, Kodagu borders Periyapatna Assembly segment, which Mr. Venkatesh represents.
If Dr. Mahadevappa or Mr. Venkatesh becomes the Minister in charge of the district, it will be after a gap of almost four years that a representative from the district would be assuming charge of that post.
Though former Minister G.T. Deve Gowda from the Janata Dal (S), who represents Chamundeshwari Assembly segment, was the Minister in charge of Mysuru district during the tenure of H.D. Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister in the coalition government, the BJP government, which came to power after the collapse of the coalition regime, appointed the then Housing Minister V. Somanna and later the then Cooperation Minister S.T. Somashekar, both from outside Mysuru, as the Ministers in charge of the district.
