Next round of Cabinet expansion in April, Katti to get berth: CM

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that another round of expansion of his Cabinet would be held in April for inducting three MLAs including former minister Umesh Katti.

“In the next round of expansion, three berths will be filled by inducting loyal BJP legislators. One among them will be Umesh Katti,” the CM told reporters here. However he refused to disclose the names of other two leaders. The Cabinet currently has 28 members and six berths are still vacant.

Yediyurappa, who was in New Delhi to attend banquet hosted in the honour of US President Donald Trump at Rashtrapathi Bhavan, said that he would also appoint chairman for boards and corporations.

Asserting that his government was safe and there was no factionalism in the party, the chief minister said that he had been holding meetings with all the leaders regularly.

Replying to question, Yediyurappa said that some BJP MLAs holding meeting at the residence of Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar in Hubballi cannot be termed a dissident activity. “Some MLAs from North Karnataka met Shettar for discussion on projects in their constituencies. Subsequently, they also met me,” he clarified.

Welcoming the Supreme Court order to the Jal Shakati Ministry to notify the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal final order, the chief minister said his government was keen to implement the project at the earliest.