Cabinet expansion after Shah, Modi nod: BS Yediyurappa

A day after the BJP registered a thumping victory in the bypolls, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday said his Cabinet will be expanded after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah give their approval.

Of the 15 constituencies that faced bypolls, the BJP won 12, thereby ensuring a comfortable majority in the Assembly. Eleven of the 13 disqualified MLAs that the BJP had fielded emerged victorious in the bypolls. Those who won will be given ministerial positions.

“I will go to Delhi in 3-4 days and meet Amit Shah and the Prime Minister. We’ll do it (Cabinet expansion) based on their decision,” Yediyurappa told reporters. “Those who resigned, came out (of the previous government) and won the bypolls, I’ve promised them and it’s our responsibility to make them ministers. It will be done 100%,” he added.

The CM remained mum on the fate of disqualified legislators AH Vishwanath and MTB Nagaraj who lost from Hunsur and Hoskote, respectively. “I don’t want to comment. I will personally talk to them,” was all Yediyurappa said.

Earlier in the day, Nagaraj met Yediyurappa and lodged a complaint against BJP’s Chikkaballapur MP BN Bachegowda, whose son Sharath Bachegowda won as an independent from Hoskote. Nagaraj is understood to have complained that Bachegowda “tacitly” supported Sharath instead of working for his own victory, given that he was the BJP’s candidate.

Soon after the bypoll results were out Monday, Nagaraj blamed Bachegowda for his defeat. “Bachegowda did not work in my favour since his son, Sharath, was in the fray. The leaders should take action against the Lok Sabha member who worked against the party," Nagaraj said.

One of Karnataka’s richest legislators, Nagaraj was a minister in the previous Congress-JD(S) government at the time of his defection.

Another disqualified legislator who got re-elected through the bypolls, Narayana Gowda (KR Pet) also met Yediyurappa. “I have not demanded for any particular portfolio. I will accept whatever the CM chooses to give,” Gowda said.