Bengaluru:  Karnataka Housing Minister V Somanna Saturday openly admitted his desire to hold the Bengaluru Development portfolio, but denied having any fight with Revenue Minister R Ashoka over it.

"BS Yediyurappa kept the Bengaluru Development portfolio with himself. I suggested to the chief minister (Basavaraj Bommai) to keep the portfolio with him. If he wants to give it to someone else, I suggested my name because Ashoka is a kid and I am the senior-most minister. In my previous capacity as the Bengaluru Development Minister, I had taken up development works including Metro Rail. Therefore, I requested the chief minister to give me the portfolio and would do a high-class job," he told reporters with a smile on his face.

Somanna was replying to a query on reports of power tussle between him and Ashoka over the non-release of funds to his pet project of building 1 lakh homes for the poor in the city.

The portfolio is the most-sought after portfolios among ministers. Since the race for this coveted portfolio created a lot of bad blood in the past, Yediyurappa and Bommai have kept the portfolio with themselves in the capacity of chief minister.

Unequitable distribution of funds among the 28 assembly segments in the city has been the main complaint against Ashoka. Also, Somanna was apparently disturbed over the non-availability of Ashoka in a meeting called for building 1 lakh homes for the poor in the city.

"To get money sanctioned for this project, I should not be asking for it from anyone else, because I hold the housing portfolio. I called Ashoka to the meeting as he has been asked to oversee implementation of Amrith schemes in the city. He could not attend the meeting, because he was in Chikmagaluru," he said.

"But, these statements should not be perceived as there is a tussle between us. All ministers, MLAs and other leaders are one, and there is no confusion among ourselves," Somanna said.

Reacting to the issue, Ashoka said there is no tussle between him and Somanna for Bengaluru Development portfolio. "I have immense respect for Somanna. He himself has made it clear that I could not attend the meeting because I was in Chikmagaluru. He has said nothing wrong," he said.

"There is no such problem. Party is united. Somanna also has left the decision to the chief minister on alloting Bengaluru Development portfolio. As far as I am concerned, I have not even made a demand for it. If Somanna is given the mantle, I do not have any objection to it. We do not have any problems," he said.

Ashoka also clarified that he was taking up development works in the city as per the directives of the Chief Minister.

The portfolio is most-sought after because Bengaluru gets the lion's share of funds. The government has allocated about Rs 7,000 crore for the implementation of Amrith schemes in the city.

During Yediyurappa's tenure as the chief ministerial, a group of MLAs had objected to minister CN Ashwathnarayan officiating Bengaluru-related meetings on his behalf and suggested that he keep the Bengaluru Development portfolio with him.

Amidst this, CM's political secretary DN Jeevaraj said the chief minister was contemplating on allocating the coveted portfolio to a minister after assembly bypolls.