Karnataka Cabinet Expansion highlights: CM B S Yediyurappa expands Cabinet, inducts 10 BJP MLAs

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Finally, Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa expands Cabinet, inducts 10 BJP MLAs

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa inducted 10 BJP MLAs to his Cabinet here on Thursday. They are among the 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs who defected last year.

The much-delayed expansion came almost two-months after the MLAs won the bypolls held in December. During the period, the defectors camp exerted pressure on Yediyurappa to expand the Cabinet and include all the MLAs who contested the bypolls.

Read the full report here.

Profiles of new Cabinet ministers

Name: Ramesh Jarkiholi
Age: 59
Caste/Community: Valmiki (ST)
Education: Bachelor of Arts dropout
Constituency: Gokak
Political experience: Widely seen as the architect of the rebellion against the Congress-JD(S) coalition, this Belagavi strongman hails from the powerful Jarkiholi family that owns sugar factors among other businesses. He is a former minister and a 6-time MLA.

Name: ST Somashekhar
Age: 62
Caste/Community: Vokkaliga
Education: Bachelor of Science
Constituency: Yeshwanthpur
Political experience: This 2-time MLA was seen as a loyalist to Congress’ Siddaramaiah, until he defected and joined the BJP. Before defection, he was appointed as chairperson of the Bangalore Development Authority. He was disqualified before he got re-elected.

Name: BA Basavaraja (Byrathi)
Age: 55
Caste/Community: Kuruba (OBC)
Education: Bachelor of Arts dropout
Constituency: KR Puram
Political experience: The 2-time MLA was seen as a confidant of Congress’ Siddaramaiah. He was appointed as chairperson of the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd. Known for his wealth, Basavaraj along with his relative Byrathi Suresh, a Congress MLA, are realtors.

Name: K Sudhakar
Age: 46
Caste/Community: Vokkaliga
Education: MBBS
Constituency: Chikballapur
Political experience: The 2-time MLA was the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board chairperson before he defected. His nonprofit works in the area of education.

Name: Shivaram Hebbar
Age: 62
Caste/Community: Brahmin
Education: SSLC
Constituency: Yellapur
Political experience: This 2-time MLA is an agriculturalist who was earlier with the Congress. Hebbar was among the initial MLAs who were said to be in the BJP’s poach-list.

Name: Shrimant Balasaheb Patil
Age: 64
Caste/Community: Maratha
Education: Bachelor of Science (Agriculture)
Constituency: Kagwad
Political experience: A native of Sangli in Maharashtra, the former Congressman is a sugar baron who owns several mills, including the Athani Sugars. Unlike other defectors, Patil had not resigned, but it was claimed that he had been “kidnapped” by the BJP. He later claimed that he was hospitalized and abstained from the trust vote that the Congress-JD(S) coalition lost.

Name: BC Patil
Age: 64
Caste/Community: Lingayat
Education: Bachelor of Arts
Constituency: Hirekerur
Political experience: This cop-turned-actor-turned-politician was with the Congress and had made public a call recording to claim that he was being poached by the BJP. Patil sulked under the Congress-JD(S) coalition for not being made a minister.

Name: Anand Singh
Age: 53
Caste/Community: Rajput
Education: Pre-University
Constituency: Vijayanagar
Political experience: A former associate of the Reddy brothers, the tainted mining barons, Singh was a minister under the first BJP government between 2008-13. He quit the BJP for the Congress in 2018 and got elected for the third time, before coming back to the saffron party.

Name: K Gopalaiah
Age: 59
Caste/Community: Vokkaliga
Education: Bachelor of Science
Constituency: Mahalakshmi Layout
Political experience: Formerly with the JD(S), Gopalaiah began his career as a councillor representing the Vrushabhavathi ward. Gopalaiah is said to have been upset with the then CM HD Kumaraswamy for not standing by his brother, who was arrested in a murder case.

Name: KC Narayana Gowda
Age: 56
Caste/Community: Vokkaliga
Education: Diploma in Hotel Management
Constituency: Krishnarajapet
Political experience: Formerly with the JD(S), Gowda is a 2-time MLA who has business interests in Mumbai. He was disgruntled alleging that his constituency had been neglected under the previous coalition regime.

Other notable absentees include Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa and former minister Murugesh Nirani. Health Minister B Sriramulu and cabinet berth aspirant C P Yogeeshwar were absent from the event as well.

Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli, who was among the defectors but not get inducted to the Cabinet skips event. He was the only MLA among the defectors who won the bypoll but was not inducted.

Apart fromRamesh Jarkiholi and Anand Singh, all others are first time ministers.

With this, cabinet expansion of the Karnataka government led by CM B S Yediyurappa is complete.

National anthem to conclude the event being played now.

Patil is among the two MLAs from Belagavi district who took oath today, the other being Ramesh Jarkiholi.

Last MLA to take oath as a minister is Kagwad MLA Shrimanth Patil. He was also among the last to defect from the coalition government.

K R Pet MLA K Narayana Gowda to take the oath next.

Gopalaiah takes the oath in the name of God and his parents.

Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah to take oath as Cabinet minister next.

Patil takes oath in the name of God, people of his constituency, his parents and Basavanna.

Police-turned-actor-turned-politician B C Patil takes the oath. He represents Hirekerur constituency in Haveri district.

Shivaram Hebbar, MLA from Yellapur constituency in Uttara Kannada district takes oath.

Byrathi Basavaraj, one of the three MLAs from Bengaluru Urban district who joined the coalition,takes the oath. He represents Krishnarajapuram constituency.

Siddaramaiah's former aide Chikkaballapur MLA K Sudhakar takes oath in the name of God.

Once among the close circles of former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Chikkaballapur MLA K Sudhakar to be sworn in.

Vijayanagar MLA Anand Singh, who had stints in both the Congress and BJP will be administered oath by the Governor next.

Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi who spearheaded the rebellion in the previous coalition government, to take oath next. His feud with Congress leader D K Shivakumar triggered the end for the HD Kumaraswamy led government.

Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah promises to the citizens of Bengaluru that he will work for them day and night, reports News9.

T Somashekar takes oath in the name of God.

Yeshwantpur MLA S T Somashekar to take the oath first. The ministers will be taking oath per this list.

Governor and CM BS Yediyurappa arrive at Raj Bhavan for Cabinet expansion.

Hirekerur BJP MLA B C Patil says he will reply to Congress and JD(S) after taking oath as a minister.

Regarding the three other "native BJP leaders" whom he had earlier indicated would be made ministers, Yediyurappa said the party high command has asked him to discuss the matter with them in Delhi. The Chief Minister had announced on Sunday that 13 BJP leaders, including the 10 MLAs who had defected from the Congress and the JD(S), would take oath on Thursday.

Thus, 16 berths are currently vacant.

At present, there are 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34.

The revolt by the rebels led to collapse of the Congress- JDS coalition Ministry in July last year, paving the way for the formation of the BJP government.

Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli, among the 11 rebel Congress and MLAs who had won on BJP tickets in the December byelections after being disqualified, was being left out in the second expansion of the six-month-old cabinet.

The swearing-in ceremony would take place on Thursday at 10.30 am at the Raj Bhavan.

Yeshwanthpur BJP MLA S T Somashekar says that he wants Bengaluru Development portfolio.

Athani BJP MLA Mahesh Kumathalli who missed out cabinet berth tells News9 that he will not cause embarrassment to the BJP and CM B S Yediyurappaover the cabinet berth. He also added that he will meet CM and find out reasons for denying him a ministerial berth.

Chikkaballapur BJP MLA Sudhakar meets former Chief Minister SM Krishna at his Sadashivnagar residence ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, reports News9.

K R Pet BJP MLA Narayan Gowda seeks divine intervention ahead of the oath-taking ceremony.

Cabinet expansion: No old-timers for now, says BJP top brass

In a last-minute twist to the Cabinet expansion quagmire, only 10 BJP legislators — those who defected from the Congress and the JD(S) — will be inducted as ministers on Thursday, dashing the hopes of BJP old-timers.

Thus far, 10 newly-elected MLAs and three BJP natives were to be inducted. But infighting within the party on who those three should be forced the BJP central leadership to step in.

Read the full report here.

10 BJP MLAs who will be sworn in today:

1. Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak)
2. S T Somashekar (Yeshwantpur)
3. Byrathi Basavaraj (KR Puram)
4. K Sudhakar (Chikkaballapur)
5. Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur)
6. Shrimanth Patil (Kagwad)
7. B C Patil (Hirekerur)
8. Anand Singh (Vijayanagar)
9. K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout)
10. K C Narayan Gowda (KR Pet)

Disgruntlement among party ranks over theinduction of Yogeeshwar is said to be the prime reason for theBJP central leadership to prevent old-timers from being sworn in, according to sources.Apparently, havingtwo ministers who lost elections could further split BJP MLAs into camps. There was already discord within the party when Laxman Savadi, who lost the 2018 polls, was made deputy chief minister. Yogeeshwar, too, lost the 2018 polls.

"I want to assure Katti that 100% he will be made a minister. I've already assured him this. He was to have been sworn in, but the central leadership has said only those who resigned and came should be taken for now," Yediyurappa said. Asked about Kumathalli, Yediyurappa said, "I'll talk to him. It'll be difficult to make him a minister. I will try to give him some other big responsibility."

13 ministers to take oath on Feb 6, says Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa

Ending suspense over the much-delayed Cabinet expansion, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced here on Sunday that 10 of the 11 newly-elected MLAs, along with three BJP old-timers, will be inducted into the ministry on February 6.

Yediyurappa told reporters that the new ministers will take oath at 10.30 am on February 6 at the Raj Bhavan. He said he was yet to decide whether the Cabinet will be reshuffled or expanded. “We will allot portfolios to new ministers as soon as they are sworn in,” the chief minister said. With the induction of 13, the strength of the Cabinet will be 31, including the present 18 ministers.

Read the full report here.

The decision has unsettled BJP old-timers, especially eight-time legislator Umesh Katti who had raised a banner of revolt when he was left out when 17 ministers were inducted in August 2019.Former ministersArvind Limbavali and C P Yogeeshwar, who were expecting berths, have been left in the lurch.

"Our Delhi leaders have said that only 10 should be inducted for now. On inducting others, I've been asked to come to Delhi," Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa told reporters on Wednesday evening.

Thus far, 10 newly-elected MLAs and three BJP natives were to be inducted. But infighting within the party on who those three should be forced the BJP central leadership to step in.

Hello readers and welcome to our live coverage of the Karnataka Cabinet expansion on February 6. In a last-minute twist to the Cabinet expansion quagmire, only 10 BJP legislators — those who defected from the Congress and the JD(S) — will be inducted as ministers today, dashing the hopes of BJP old-timers. Stay tuned for live updates.