Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday reshuffled the Cabinet for the third time in less than a week to pacify his ministers, PTI reported.

The reshuffle was done mainly to give the Medical Education portfolio back to Health and Family Welfare Minister K Sudhakar. The portfolio was taken from him in the first round of rejig on January 21.

Sudhakar had requested Yediyurappa to let him keep both the portfolios to ensure coordination in coronavirus-fighting measures and the ongoing vaccination drive, according to NDTV.

Meanwhile, JC Madhuswamy was given the Minor Irrigation department that he had demanded. CP Yogeshwar got the Tourism, Environment and Ecology ministry, while Anand Singh was given infrastructure development and the Haj and Wakf portfolios, according to The Hindu.

The Karnataka government had on January 22 re-allocated the portfolios to the seven ministers who were inducted into the Cabinet on January 13. This happened just a day after the chief minister effected a major reshuffle of departments that left many ministers upset.

Also read: Karnataka CM Yediyurappa re-allocates portfolios after reshuffle left ministers miffed

In last week’s rejig, Madhuswamy was given the Haj and Wakf department along with his earlier-allotted Medical Education department. He had been stripped off Law and Parliamentary Affairs as well as Minor Irrigation departments on January 21.

Amid the reshuffle, several disgruntled ministers had met Sudhakar. However, Yediyurappa had claimed that there was no resentment among them.

The Cabinet inductions became a point of contention among state BJP leaders, who alleged the appointments were made “without considering seniority or honesty”. Some even accused the chief minister of including only those who had either “blackmailed” him, or were his closest confidantes.

This was the third time that the Yediyurappa-led Cabinet was expanded. The chief minister assumed office on July 2019 after the previous Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government collapsed. The newly sworn-in ministers were a combination of turncoats from the previous regime.