CM Bommai meets Amit Shah: Cabinet rejig only after five states election

Bommai said he has sought an appointment with Union Home Minister Amit Shah as well as the party national president J P Nadda

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asked Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take up the Cabinet reshuffle only after the Assembly elections in five states.

Bommai, who is in Delhi on a two-day tour, held a half-an-hour-long meeting with Shah.

During the meeting, Shah is learnt to have told the CM that the central leaders were busy with elections in five states. Shah is learnt to have told Bommai that the issue will be discussed after the elections.

Cabinet expansion and appointments to board and corporations should take place simultaneously, Shah suggested.

Results of the elections to the five states will be declared on March 10.

When Bommai favoured a complete reshuffle by dropping some senior ministers, Shah is learnt to have told him that it would be better to expand the Cabinet by filling vacant berths, cautioning the CM of possible dissident activities if senior ministers are dropped.

Shah also suggested to the CM to meet BJP president J P Nadda and discuss the issue. Bommai is likely to meet Nadda on Tuesday.

Prior to meeting Shah, Bommai also held a long meeting with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.

Separately, former CM Jagadish Shettar and Sugar Minister Shankar Patil Munenakoppa also arrived at national capital.

Both the leaders came to Delhi to meet the party top leaders.

Earlier, the CM said he would meet the party brass and discuss the Cabinet rejig.

Pressure is mounting on the CM to expand or rejig his Cabinet soon.

The Bommai Cabinet currently has four vacancies against a full strength of 34 ministers. There is a strong push from Belagavi’s leaders led by former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi for a Cabinet position to one of the two Jarkiholi brothers or their associates. Citing the Karnataka Assembly polls in 2023, several legislators, including Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and M P Renukacharya, have openly said that if the Cabinet exercise is delayed and carried out after the elections in the five states, it will be too late for new ministers to make any mark, even in their own constituencies.

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