Discontent over ministry allocation in the Karnataka cabinet continued unabated on Wednesday with another senior minister, Krishna Byre Gowda, flying to Delhi to seek the Congress high command's intervention.

Gowda has not taken charge of the Bengaluru development ministry as two key allied agencies — the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) — have been retained by chief minister D.K. Shivakumar.

Shivakumar is also in Delhi to attend a Niti Ayog meeting on Thursday.

Last weekend, water resources minister Ramalinga Reddy resigned, demanding the Bengaluru development ministry. After two days of hectic parleys by the AICC leadership and Shivakumar, Reddy withdrew his resignation and settled for the water resources ministry allocated to him.

Gowda went to Delhi in a huff as he wants control over the two allied civic agencies under the Bengaluru development ministry. The ministry has been one of the most sought-after portfolios in Karnataka because it oversees urban expansion, land development and infrastructure projects in the rapidly growing IT city. Gowda met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal and AICC in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala.

The leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had handpicked Gowda for the Bangalore development portfolio. But Shivakumar, irked by the move, decided to take charge of the two agencies. A Congress source said that apart from clearing the confusion over the two agencies, Gowda has gone to lobby for his loyalists, especially those between the age group of 40 and 50 years, in the second leg of cabinet expansion.

"There are 21 vacancies in the Shivakumar cabinet. Hectic lobbying is underway by the aspirants, including Gowda loyalists. He has excellent rapport with Rahul and is bound to get the desired results," said a Congress insider.