Cabinet expansion: JD(S) legislature party holds meet

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has convened a meeting of his party legislators on Tuesday to discuss expansion of his Cabinet, likely to be done this weekend.

Sources in the JD(S) said Kumaraswamy would apprise the JD(S) legislators on his plan to fill three existing vacancies in the Cabinet to safeguard the coalition government. Of the three berths, the JD(S) will get two and Congress one, as per the agreement between the two parties.

But the chief minister intends to induct Ranebennur MLA R Shankar of Karnataka Pragnavantha Janatha Party and independent MLA H Nagesh from Mulbagal into the Cabinet. This, if done, will help him shore up the numbers for the coalition partners, Congress and JD(S), in the Assembly.

Kumaraswamy is also making efforts to convince rebel Congress leader Ramesh Jarkiholi to give up his plan to quit the party and accept a Cabinet berth.

“The chief minister wants to take his party legislators into confidence before going ahead with his plan. Hence, he has convened the meeting,” the sources said.

Speculation was rife in the political circles that JD(S) state president A H Vishwanath would resign owning moral responsibility for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

Vishwanath met Kumaraswamy on Monday and conveyed his decision.

It is said the chief minister has asked him not to take any hasty decision.

Sources in the party said Vishwanath is upset with the party leadership for taking unilateral decisions on distribution of tickets for the recent urban local body elections.