JOIN USState Cabinet reshuffle: Guess game continues
Many of them, including those identified with Shettar group- A Ramdas and C T Ravi- and those toeing the line of Reddy brothers - M P Renukacharya, Belur Gopalkrishna and S K Bellubbi - are said to be hoping that last minute parleys would eventually land them in the Cabinet.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who had all along been maintaining that only Jagadish Shettar will be inducted into the Cabinet next week, sprang a surprise by stating that he would take a final decision on Saturday. “As of now only Shettar will be inducted into the Cabinet, but we will discuss all aspects tomorrow,” he said replying to reporters’ queries in Bangalore before leaving for Raichur.
The Reddy camp had demanded that apart from Shobha Karandlaje, five other ministers, C M Udasi, Basavaraj Bommai, Lakshman Savadi, Murgesh Nirani and Hartal Halappa be dropped and replaced with supporters of Reddy-Shettar group. But, the demand was not considered when the five point compromise formula was hammered out by the party central leadership in New Delhi.
Yet, sources in the Reddy camp said they would continue to put pressure on the CM to met their demand.
BJP-JD(S) talks?
Meanwhile, there was speculation in political circles on Friday, that two ministers in the Yeddyurappa Cabinet met JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday night and had a lengthy debate on the recent political developments.
The two ministers, one among them in-charge of Bangalore, are said to have met Kumaraswamy at the latter’s guest house in Sadashivanagar and had talks for more than two hours. A section of ministers in the Yeddyurappa cabinet are unhappy with the recent developments that forced the CM to yield to pressure from Reddys and take a few decisions as per their wish.
It is said that disappointment within the cabinet prompted the two ministers contact Kumaraswamy. It is said the CM sent the ministers only to keep the option of having a tie-up with the JD(S), if necessary, open.
Meanwhile, Speaker Jagadish Shettar left for his home district Hubli-Dharwad on Friday. He will be submitting his resignation letter to Deputy Speaker K G Bopaiah on Monday and will be sworn-in as minister on November 17.