Couldn't discuss Cabinet rejig with BJP top brass: Bommai

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said he could not meet the BJP top leaders to discuss the Cabinet rejig as Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda are not in the city.

The CM told reporters here, “I intended to discuss the Cabinet rejig, but our president Nadda ji and Amit Shah are not in town. So, I will be returning to Bengaluru on Wednesday.” Sources said that Bommai has sought an appoint with Amit Shah on Wednesday.

Bommai is under pressure from ministerial aspirants to expand or reshuffle his Cabinet at the earliest.

Reacting to the Supreme Court order on elections to local bodies, the CM said the government will seek the advocate general’s opinion about it. Finally, the state election commission has to take a call on holding the elections to local bodies, he said.

Dismissing the Congress’ criticism that the government is not ready to hold these elections, fearing defeat, the CM said, “the government is always ready to hold elections. The BJP has already held several meetings across the state and is well prepared for the elections.”

Reacting to KPCC president D K Shivakumar’s statement that Higher Education Minister Ashwath Narayan met senior Congress leader M B Patil, to request the latter not to rake up the PSI recruitment scam, the CM said he was not aware of this. Shivakumar may be making such statement due to infighting in the Congress, he said.

Earlier in the day, the CM met Union Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and requested the latter to supply adequate quantity of fertilizers to the state in the coming kharif season. Bommai held interactions with ambassadors of various countries in the evening, regarding ‘Invest Karnataka 2022’ – the global investors’ meet scheduled for November.