Cabinet expansion: Bommai points at high command again

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday maintained that he was awaiting an update from the BJP central leadership on the expansion of his Cabinet, which he said did not come up during his visit to the national capital for the party’s national executive meeting.

Bommai was in New Delhi to participate in the BJP national executive meeting. He told reporters that the issue of cabinet expansion did not come up as "all were busy" with the meeting.

"This issue has been discussed at length in the past. I'm waiting to hear from the party central leaders. They've said they'll tell me," the CM said.

Bommai has six vacancies in his cabinet. With Assembly elections due in about four months, Bommai's statement is widely interpreted as a broad hint that the much-awaited expansion might not take place.

Coming down heavily on the Congress' announcement of Rs 2,000 per month to every woman head of households if voted to power, Bommai said that the party was desperate to win the elections.

“Congress lacks trust among the people. They are aware that they will not come back to power. That is why they are making false promises in desperation. They are trying to mislead the people in the state,” he said.

"If Congress was so committed, why didn’t the party implement or come out with such schemes while they were in power? What is the guarantee that their schemes will be implemented?", Bommai asked.

The chief minister also claimed that whatever policies or schemes he was announcing were based on availability of funds and with rationality. “Ours is a pro-people's party and committed to people's welfare,” he said.