With the Cauvery crisis having blown over at present, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reinstated KJ George as minister in the Karnataka Cabinet.

Kannada news channels have been reporting that George might be reinstated into the Cabinet and re-allotted the Bengaluru Development portfolio. The swearing-in is to be held on Monday.

George was given a clean chit some days ago by the CID, in connection with Mangaluru DySP Ganapathy’s death. Ever since, there has been speculation that George might be re-instated.

The Bengaluru MLA was forced to resign as Bengaluru Minister after an FIR was filed against him.

In the final interview that Ganapathy gave a local news channel in Madikeri, he had alleged that George and IPS officers AM Prasad and Pronab Mohanty had harassed him, and were responsible for his impending suicide. Although the government ordered an investigation, George had not stepped down as minister.

Ganapathy’s son Nehal then lodged private complaint with a court in Madikeri, which ordered an FIR to be filed against George. It was after this, that George resigned.

Congress Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao told The News Minute earlier this week that the party had always maintained that there had been no need for George to resign. However, George had done so as he did not want to embarrass the party.