Both expansion, reshuffle on cards for B S Yediyurappa’s Cabinet

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s Cabinet could be in for both expansion and reshuffle, as the BJP central leadership has obtained the performance reports of incumbent ministers.

While the Cabinet expansion is imminent, sources say a reshuffle will be inevitable with ministers from Belagavi in the crosshairs.

Yediyurappa is under pressure to expand his Cabinet, an exercise that is overdue. There are six berths vacant in the 34-member Cabinet. The chief minister will have to accommodate MLCs M T B Nagaraj and R Shankar — rebels who helped the BJP come to power. He has also publicly assured a berth for eight-time MLA Umesh Katti, who is sulking. There are several others who are vying to become ministers.

Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, along with senior BJP leader C P Yogeshwar, is camping in the national capital for the past two days and meeting the party top brass, triggering speculation that Jarkiholi is eyeing the post of deputy chief minister while lobbying for Yogeshwar to be made a minister.

They have met BJP national president J P Nadda, BJP national general secretary B L Santhosh (organisation) and some Union ministers.

Up to leaders: Jarkiholi

“I’m not lobbying for the deputy chief minister’s post. It is up to the party leaders to decide whom to appoint to that post,” Jarkiholi said. “I met the party top brass on behalf of my friend Yogeshwar and thanked them for making him a member of the Legislative Council.”

Yogeshwar maintained that he was there to thank the party leaders and that he “never asked for ministership”.

According to sources, the Cabinet expansion should have happened by now.

“If it happens immediately, say next month, it will be just an expansion. If it gets delayed further towards the end of the year, it will be a reshuffle. The central leadership already has the performance reports of every minister,” a senior Cabinet minister said.

Apparently, the party is considering a reshuffle because “there’s too much representation for Belagavi”.

While the Cabinet has seven ministers representing Bengaluru, there are four from Belagavi — Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, Women & Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle, Textiles Minister Shrimant Patil and Jarkiholi. “Bengaluru’s case is different because three ministers were rebels,” the minister said.

According to a top BJP office-bearer who is close to Yediyurappa, the party has observed that migrants such as S T Somashekhar, B C Patil and K Sudhakar were “more active” than native BJP ministers.