BSY to discuss cabinet expansion in Delhi on Monday

B S Yediyurappa will hold a meeting with the BJP central leaders on the expansion of his cabinet, in his first visit to national capital after becoming the chief minister, on Monday.

The chief minister has already sent a list of 50 legislators to the central leaders to be considered for ministers’ posts. The chief minister, who will be staying here for three days, will discuss the issue with party national president Amit Shah and working president J P Nadda.

In this stint of Yediyurappa as chief minister, the central leadership of the BJP is actively involved in decision making. Earlier, it had involved itself in the selection of the Speaker as well.

The chief minister was under pressure from within and from the Opposition, following the delay in expanding the ministry even a week after taking over the reins of administration.

Since the saffron party is planning to accommodate 12 to 14 disqualified MLAs as ministers, the party waited, hoping for a favourable verdict from the top court in the case pertaining to the disqualified MLAs. Since the top court verdict is unlikely to come soon, the party may ask the chief minister to induct only 15 BJP MLAs in the Cabinet for now.