Ministerial aspirants continue lobbying as CM Yediyurappa plans cabinet expansion

Bengaluru: With the much-awaited expansion of the Karnataka cabinet slated sometime in January, ministerial aspirants continued their lobbying by making a bee-line to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s residence here.

As Yediyurappa has already made it clear that 11 of the disqualified legislators who got re-elected on BJP ticket during the December 5 bypolls, will be made Ministers during the expansion, lobbying has intensified for the five remaining berths in the cabinet.

Currently there are 18 ministers including the Chief Minister in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength is 34.

According to sources, among those who met the Chief Minister at his residence on Tuesday include former minister and senior legislator Umesh Katti, former minister R Shankar and defeated party candidate from Hoskote during the bypolls MTB Nagaraj.

Though there is a strong word within the party circles that Katti is most likely to be considered during the expansion, sources said, it needs to be seen how Yediyurappa will maintain a balance, as his addition would increase the number of Ministers from Belagavi district to four.

There are already two Ministers-Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi and Women and Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle from Belagavi- in the cabinet while newly elected BJP MLA from Gokak Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been promised a ministerial berth, also hails from the district.

Kitti, an eight-time MLA was among the prominent senior BJP legislators who were miffed and sulking after failing to make it in the first round of cabinet expansion.

Shankar, who has been promised a Cabinet berth by Yediyurappa through MLC route, met the Chief Minister with an intention to ascertain his chances, sources said.

While giving a BJP ticket to Arun Kumar Guthur from Ranebennur and denying it to Shankar, a disqualified legislator, Yediyurappa had promised a Ministerial position by him making a MLC.

With Deputy Chief Minister Savadi too being considered for a MLC post to ensure his continuation in the ministry, it has caused worry to Shankar.

Savadi, who is currently not a member of the assembly or the council, can continue as a minister for six months till February.

Though there are speculations that some sitting BJP MLCs may be asked to step down to make way for those being considered for ministerial berths, there is no clarity on it so far, sources added.

MTB Nagaraj, one of the disqualified legislators, whose resignation paved way for the Yediyurappa government to come to power, is also aspiring for a ministerial berth, despite facing defeat in the assembly bypolls from Hoskote.

With other disqualified legislators, who have now got elected as BJP MLAs too pushing for Nagaraj to be made a minister as “promised” earlier, it needs to be seen what Yediyurappa decides.

If the Chief Minister decides to induct Nagaraj, he too will become a contender for the MLC post, the sources said.

There is only one council position vacant for now following Congress’ Rizwan Arshad’s election as MLA during the bypolls.

Several other BJP old guards like Arvind Limbavali, K G Bopaiah, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, Renukacharya among others are keenly aspiring for ministerial berths.

Though Yediyurappa has indicated that cabinet expansion may take place sometime after Sankranti, party sources say it may be delayed slightly, and things will depend on the Chief Minister’s meeting with the party high command in New Delhi, which is yet to take place.

Meanwhile, according to reports, newly-elected BJP legislators who have been promised cabinet berths are likely to meet the Chief Minister soon with a request to induct them into the cabinet before the Assembly session from February 17.

New legislators want to have a clarity on expansion from Yediyurappa, as he is expected to be out of country next month to attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, sources said.