Yeddi ready for Cabinet expansion

Bengaluru: Putting an end to the speculation on change of leadership in Karnataka, the BJP central leadership has given free hand to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to pick his team for much-awaited Cabinet expansion.

The Chief Minister on Monday held a breakfast meeting with BJP national secretary (Organization) B L Santhosh clearing the decks for the Cabinet expansion and there seems to be a renewed clamour for Cabinet posts as six vacancies remain to be filled.

Yediyurappa was keen to reshuffle and expand his Cabinet in August, but had to postpone it after he was tested positive for Covid-19.

Sources close to Yediyurappa told The Hans India that Cabinet expansion could take place before the nine-day monsoon session of the Assembly slated to be held from September 21. The Chief Minister could go for the Cabinet expansion only after the session.

In the 34-member ministry, though six posts have to be filled, over a dozen defected but re-elected MLAs are vying to occupy the Cabinet posts. Chief Minister has to accommodate disqualified Congress MLAs who defected to the BJP after the 'Operation Lotus' to the Cabinet.

Among the front-runners are Congress defectors M T B Nagaraj and R Shankar, who got elected to the council on June 22 biennial elections, and Janata Dal-Secular defector A H Vishwanath, who got nominated to the council on July 22. Eight-time BJP MLA Umesh Katti and C P Yogeshwar were also nominated to the Council.

Along with new entrants, old timers are also eagerly waiting to join the Cabinet. In the list, Mr. Yediyurappa ought to accommodate new entrants, M.T.B. Nagaraj, H.Vishwanth, Munirathna Naidu, R. Shankar in the Cabinet. BJP senior leaders, Umesh Katti, Murugesh Nirani, Basanagowda Patil Yatnal, Paranna Munavalli, Rajkumar Patil, Dattatreya Patil Revoor, Basavaraj Mattimud M.P. Renukacharya and others are hopeful that they will be inducted into the Cabinet.

BJP MLC C P Yogishwar is another key contender. He had played a key role in roping in Congress rebel MLAs to destabilize the H D Kumaraswamy headed coalition government in 2019. Earlier, a section of the BJP had opposed making Yogishwar a minister, pointing out that he had lost the Assembly polls and not a member of either House.

Yogishwar is making hectic parleys to secure a Cabinet berth. He had recently met BJP national president J P Nadda in New Delhi with along with resources minister Ramesh Jarakeholi. Sources said he had requested the party central leadership to bestow him with Cabinet berth.

As 11 of the 12 defectors from the Congress and JD-S were made ministers in the February cabinet expansion after they got re-elected in the December 5 bye-elections in 15 Assembly segments, Nagaraj, Shankar and Vishwanath are waiting to join them, as they resigned from their Assembly seats in July 2019.

As Nagaraj and Vishwanath lost in the by-election from Hoskote in Bengaluru Rural district and Hunsur in Mysuru district, they were made members of the Council to reward them with a cabinet post as the other defectors have been by the ruling party and Yediyurappa.

Shankar, who too defected from the Congress and joined the BJP in November, was not given a ticket to contest in the by-election from Ranebennur in Haveri district but was assured by the ruling party of being made a Council member. Nagaraj and Shankar were cabinet ministers in the 14-month JD-S-Congress coalition government from May 23, 2018 to July 23, 2019.

Though the Supreme Court in November upheld the disqualification of the 17 defectors by the Congress and JD-S by the former Assembly speaker (K. R.Ramesh Kumar) under the anti-defection law, it allowed them to re-contest in the Assembly by-elections.

"Resignation of the 17 defectors, including 14 from the Congress and three from the JD-S from their Assembly seats led to the fall of the coalition government after its Chief Minister H. D.Kumaraswamy lost the confidence vote in the Lower House for want of majority on July 23, 2019," the party official recalled.

With three defectors and two native Legislators lobbying hard for the six cabinet berths, only one of the party MLAs will be able to get the remaining one post.

(With agency inputs)