As logjam over Bengaluru development portfolio continues, insiders point fingers at CM Shivakumar

D K Shivakumar’s decision to retain the BDA and BMRDA was seen as a bid to mollify Ramalinga Reddy by later handing him control over them, but the matter appears more complex.

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar (PTI File Photo)

3 min readBengaluruJun 9, 2026 08:53 PM IST First published on: Jun 9, 2026 at 08:52 PM IST

Five days after his appointment as Bengaluru development minister, Krishna Byre Gowda has yet to assume charge. The delay stems from confusion over the scope of his portfolio, as not all departments governing Bengaluru have been handed over to him.

While allocating the portfolios last week, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar retained the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), among the other unallocated portfolios. It was also unclear who would handle the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s town planning department.

Dissent erupted soon after the portfolio allocation last week, with senior leader Ramalinga Reddy, who was made the irrigation minister, demanding the Bengaluru development portfolio. Shivakumar’s decision to retain the charge of the BDA and the BMRDA was then interpreted as a move to mollify Reddy by handing him control over the two bodies later.

However, days after Reddy softened his stance and took over as minister, the logjam over the Bengaluru development portfolio has continued.

Sources said the Congress high command picked Gowda to be the Bengaluru development minister following extensive consultation among various city groups. “However, CM Shivakumar, who was Bengaluru development minister under former CM Siddaramaiah, appears reluctant to let go of the portfolio,” a source said, adding that the initial dispute over the portfolio was also a ploy to delay its transfer.

Gowda, who was in Delhi on Tuesday, has not commented on the development.

Reddy, while taking over at the irrigation department on Monday evening, said he would keep the portfolio and had not sought anything else. “I will not ask for the Bengaluru development portfolio as it is a closed chapter… Even if they want to give it to me, I don’t want it,” he said.

A leader close to Gowda, on the condition of anonymity, told indianexpress.com that the Bengaluru development department required coordination between several government departments. “When there is no administrative control over agencies involved in Bengaluru’s development, implementing projects efficiently becomes a major challenge,” he said.

Citing the example of Outer Ring Road, which falls under the BDA, he asked who the Bengaluru development minister would hold accountable if a major issue arose in the IT hub. “Similarly, dozens of lakes in Bengaluru are managed by the BDA. If flooding occurs during the monsoon due to poor lake maintenance, inadequate stormwater management, or encroachments, whom can the minister hold responsible?” he asked.

“All major departments and agencies connected to Bengaluru’s development should function under a unified framework led by the Bengaluru development minister. Only then can the minister effectively monitor performance, fix bottlenecks, enforce accountability, and implement a comprehensive vision to transform Bengaluru,” he added.