Bengaluru: After persistent bargaining, senior JD(S) leader and Higher Education Minister G.T. Devegowda (GTD), who is the only Minister yet to take charge in the Congress-JD(S) coalition Government, may finally get the Excise portfolio.

Chief Minister Kumaraswamy on Friday is said to have agreed to hand over the Excise portfolio to G.T. Devegowda. Excise is one among the 11 portfolios that the CM currently holds.

The Chamundeshwari JD(S) MLA, who became a giant killer after defeating the then Congress Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, will be given one more portfolio, most probably Agricultural Marketing.

Ever since he was inducted into the Cabinet, GTD has been a troubled man, as he lost out on two portfolios — Revenue and Water Resources — to the Congress.

When the JD(S) asked him to take over the Co-operation portfolio, the veteran co-operator had vehemently denied the same, saying that he wanted a more ‘lucrative’ portfolio.

When he was allotted the Higher Education portfolio, the Chamundeshwari MLA registered his protest by making himself inaccessible for a couple of days, while CM Kumaraswamy himself attracted brickbats for making a lowly educated person as the Higher Education Minister.

After Devegowda outrightly declined Higher Education portfolio, Kumaraswamy agreed to give him Co-operation portfolio, which had already been allotted to Bandeppa Kashempur.

Later, when it became apparent that Kashempur would not swap Co-operation with Higher Education, CM Kumaraswamy was forced to sacrifice Excise, a major revenue generating  portfolio.

G.T. Devegowda is hoping to assume office next week, according to sources.