Steel for HDK, Joshi takes on food, Shobha to handle labour

BENGALURU: Of the five ministers from Karnataka in the Modi cabinet, Nirmala Sitharaman is the only one to continue to hold the same portfolio - that of finance - while the other four have been handed new responsibilities.
JD(S) state chief and pre-poll ally HD Kumaraswamy, who was expecting to get the agriculture portfolio, has been appointed minister in charge of steel and heavy industries. Prahlad Joshi, a key link in the Modi 2.0, having been minister for parliamentary affairs, coal, and mines, has now been allocated consumer affairs, food, and public distribution.
V Somanna, a first-time MP, will oversee jal shakti and railways, while Shobha Karandlaje, representing Bangalore North, has been given medium, small, and micro industries, along with labour and employment. Both Somanna and Shobha are ministers of state (MoS).
Kumaraswamy takes charge of the ministry at a time when the domestic industry is facing the crucial issue of rising steel imports from countries like China and surging raw material prices.