Battle for last five berths heat up as out of the 34 member Congress cabinet, only 5 spots are left. Aspirants who have been left out are using every trick in the book to coerce a ministerial position.

Disgruntled senior leaders like D K Shiva Kumar, Dr A B Maalaka Reddy, R Roshan Baig, Malilkayya Guttedar, C S Nadagouda, B B Chimmanakatti, Basavaraj Rayareddi, Anil Lad and Tanveer Sait, who have been denied the cabinet berth in Saturday's expansion, are said to be trying hard to make it to the ministry. Some of the aspirants are in New Delhi trying to convince the high command while their supporters back home are upping the ante with protests in their constituencies.

The portfolios for the 29-member Congress cabinet was announced on Sunday night.

Ministers and their portfolios...
Siddaramaiah: Energy, Large and Medium Scale Industries, Finance, Bangalore City Development, Planning and Statistics, Mines and Geology, IT, BT and Science and Technology, Sericulture, Department of Cabinet Affairs, DPAR and Intelligence
R V Deshpande: Higher Education and Tourism
Qamar Ul Islam: Municipalies and Local Bodies; Department of Public Enterprises; Minorities Welfare, Haj and Wakf Department
T B Jayachandra: Law, Justice and Human Rights; Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation; Animal Husbandry
B Ramanath Rai: Forest, Ecology and Environment
HK Patil: Rural Development and Panchayat Raj
Ramalinga Reddy: Transport
Shamanur Shivashankarappa: Agriculture Marketing; Horticulture
V Srinivas Prasad: Revenue
Dr H C Mahadevappa: Public Works
K J George: Home
H S Mahadeva Prasad: Co-operation
M H Ambareesh: Housing
Prakash Hukkeri: Small Scale Industries; Muzrai; Sugar
Vinay Kumar Sorake: Urban Development Department (excluding Bangalore)
MB Patil: Major and Medium Irrigation
Satish Jarkiholi: Excise
U T Khader: Health and Family Welfare
Baburao Chinchansur: Textiles; Ports and Inland Transport
Shivaraj Tangadagi: Minor Irrigation
H Anjaneya: Social Welfare: Backward Classes Welfare

Ministers of State (Independent Charge) 

K Abhayachandra: Youth Services; Fisheries
Dinesh Gundu Rao: Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs
Krishna Byre Gowda: Agriculture
Dr Sharanaprakash Patil: Medical Education
Santhosh S Lad: Infrastructure Development; Information
Kimmane Ratnakar: Education
Umashree: Women and Child Development; Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens; Kannada and Culture
P T Parameshwar Naik: Labour

Source: Times of India