Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has appointed Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda as Minister in charge of Hassan district, replacing Minister for Cooperation K.N. Rajanna.

Mr. Byre Gowda, who won from the Byatarayanapura assembly constituency in Bengaluru, will be taking part in the Independence Day programme in Hassan on August 15 and will hoist the national flag, said a communique from the State secretariat.

Mr. Rajanna, who is from the Madhugiri constituency in Tumakuru district, was appointed the Minister in charge of Hassan district earlier. However, in recent months, he hardly visited the district and seldom held meetings with district officials.

He also openly stated that he had asked the Chief Minister to relieve him from this responsibility. Besides that, a section of Congress leaders in the district had sought his replacement.

Out of the seven assembly constituencies in Hassan, only Arasikere is represented by a Congress MLA — K.M. Shivalinge Gowda.