Cabinet reshuffle: A caste calculus aimed at the poll arithmetic

The BJP appears to have ticked all the right boxes of community and caste representation in the union council of ministers as far as Karnataka is concerned.

There are now six ministers in the Centre who represent Karnataka - Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the newly-inducted Shobha Karandlaje, A Narayanaswamy, Bhagwanth Khuba and Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

According to analysts, the selection of the new ministers shows that the saffron party is trying to hold on to its voter base in the state.

Khuba (Lingayat), Karandlaje (Vokkaliga) and Narayanaswamy (SC left) are the three Lok Sabha MPs being inducted.

While Khuba is a replacement for the late Suresh Angadi, Karandlaje comes in for D V Sadananda Gowda. Chandrasekhar is a Rajya Sabha MP and businessman. In him, Bengaluru finds a place in PM Modi’s team.

Muzaffar Assadi, chairman, department of political science, University of Mysore, said that the inductees from Karnataka reflected the BJP’s efforts to regain its base among some communities.

“But none of the ‘heavyweights’ from Karnataka are accommodated. This hints at one more reshuffle before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where these heavyweights might find space,” he guessed.

In terms of state politics, the shuffle is unlikely to have any repercussions, said A Narayana, faculty at School of Public Policy and Governance, Azim Premji University.

“The inclusions are unlikely to affect the next Assembly elections,” he said, adding whether it will have an impact on the power tussle within state BJP was still a matter of speculation.

Sources said that save for Chandrashekar, all other inductees were chosen because of their affiliation with the RSS.

“This is yet another clever move to reward people who have worked at the grassroots,” a source said.

Though several other MPs from the state were reportedly in contention for berths, party leadership appears to have preferred low-key leaders from the state as in the case of Khuba and Narayanaswamy.

With the induction of Narayanaswamy, a Madiga, the BJP is said to be looking to woo the SC (left).

Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, in a statement, said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized Karnataka and has inducted four ministers from the state in the Council of Ministers. I thank him on behalf of the people of Karnataka. They have selected four good candidates who can work well. Their induction will empower the state".