JOIN USBJP top brass gives nod to CM for cabinet expansion
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is likely to expand his cabinet on Monday by inducting 13 new ministers.
Of the 13 new faces, 10 are disqualified JD(S)-Congress MLAs, who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP tickets and three from loyal BJP legislators. However, there is no proposal to drop any existing ministers and no plan to create new Deputy Chief Ministers. There are already three Deputy CMs in the state, sources in the BJP told DH.
The party top leaders also told the CM not to induct any legislators, who lost in the recent Assembly bypolls. The plans were finalised after the CM, who held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National president J P Nadda here.
The CM later told reporters that the party has given him green signal to expand the cabinet and also made suggestions on whom to induct.
"Many of our suggestions have been accepted by Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda. If there are differences, we will discuss in Bengaluru and finalise it," Yediyurappa, said here.
However, the CM refused to disclose the names of legislators to be inducted to his cabinet.
Sources said that though the party top brass were favour for inducting only 9 out of 11 re-elected rebel leaders, the CM was able to convince them about the need to induct 10 legislators. The CM also told the party leaders that he would not induct one MLA, who came from Congress, as he himself agreed to not to be claimant for the ministerial berth.
Currently, there are 18 ministers, including the chief minister, in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen berths are vacant.
The party top brass suggested the CM to keep three berths vacant and among that two will be given to Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly ex-MLA Munirathna Naidu and Maski ex-MLA Pratap Gouda Patil. Though they resigned as Congress legislators and joined BJP, their assembly segments bypolls decision were kept pending due to pending election petitions in the Karnataka High Court.
With the instructions from the party top brass not to give scope to dissidents after the expansion as well as allocation of portfolios, the CM is likely to hold meeting with all ministerial aspirants to quell their unhappiness.
The CM also said that he would personally meet the ministerial aspirants and will address their grievances if any. The CM asserted there is no confusion in expansion and he will ensure that no body is unhappy during expansion.
During his meeting with Shah, his son Shivamogga Lok Sabha member B Y Raghavendra and younger son B Y Vijayendra were also present.