Cabinet expansion: CM to meet Sonia today

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he would meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday and discuss the possibility of reshuffling his Cabinet.

Siddaramaiah, who was here to attend the meeting of chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, told reporters that he met Karnataka in-charge general secretary Digvijay Singh and discussed the issue.

Asked what transpired during his meeting with Singh, Siddaramaiah said he had sought the appointment of Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

“A final decision on the (Cabinet) expansion will be taken after discussing the matter with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,” he added.

The chief minister is under pressure to take up the reshuffle immediately with a large number of aspirants camping in the national capital for lobbying for berths.

Though a section of the leaders among the party top brass was keen on a reshuffle of the Cabinet at the earliest, another section was suggesting that the exercise be put off till the completion of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike election, which is expected to be held within two months.