Yediyurappa cabinet expansion set for Wednesday; 7-8 new Ministers to take oath: CM

The much-awaited KarnatakaCabinet expansion would take place on Wednesday with theinduction of 7-8 ministers, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappasaid on Tuesday.

The BJP veteran also indicated one minister might bedropped in the rejig, the third of the 17-month old ministry.

''....new Ministers will take oath at the Raj Bhavan ataround 3:30 pm tomorrow, the list of seven or eight ministerswho will be inducted will be released in due course,'' he toldreporters here.

Asked will anyone be dropped from the 27-member Ministryas there were only seven vacant berths, he said: ''It is beingdiscussed, we will see, we may have to drop someone, willthink about it and make a decision... there is no confusion.'' The announcement comes two days after Yediyurappafinalised the expansion at a meeting with top BJP leaders,including party chief J P Nadda and Union Home Minister AmitShah in New Delhi.

This would be third expansion of the cabinet sinceYediyurappa assumed charge in July, 2019 after the collapseof the Congress-JDS government in the wake of revolt by 17MLAs of the coalition partners.

A state Information Department release said GovernorVajubhai Vala will administer the oath of office and secrecyto the new members who will be inducted to the Cabinet at 3.50pm at the Glass House of Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.

Yediyurappa, who had been planning the expansion forseveral months, had on Monday said Nadda and party GeneralSecretary in-charge of state Arun Singh will be invited forthe swearing-in.

However, there was no official word so far on theirparticipation in the function.

There are speculations within the BJP circles and alsoin a section of the media that a couple of Ministers arelikely to be dropped in the exercise.

Excise Minister H Nagesh and Women and Child DevelopmentMinister Shashikala Jolle, whose names are doing the rounds,have maintained they had not heard from the Chief Minister orthe party leadership in this regard.

According to party sources, keeping up the promise,Congress-JD(S) rebels-turned BJP legislators like RR Nagar MLAMunirathna, and MLCs R Shankar and M T B Nagaraj, who helpedthe saffron party come to power, are most likely to beinducted by Yediyurappa.

Names of senior BJP MLAs including Umesh Katti, S Angaraand Murugesh Nirani are also doing rounds in the party circlesalong with Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali and MLC C PYogeshwar as possible inductees.

Eight-time MLA from Hukkeri Katti said he had received acall from the Chief Minister asking him to come to the statecapital.

''My trip to Bengaluru was already planned as there is acommittee meeting tomorrow. Also, the Chief Minister lastnight asked me to come to Bengaluru, so I'm going. If CM andparty leadership bless me, I will take oath and work for thestate,'' he said as he left Belagavi.

Six-time MLA Angara too said he was coming here for acommittee meeting and will leave it to God about becomingMinister.

''I have never lobbied for a Minister post and willnever do it. If given an opportunity will work honestly,'' hesaid.

Yediyurappa was waiting for some time to carry out thecabinet expansion after he was asked by Nadda in November towait for the clearance from the central leadership.

The expansion or reshuffle is likely to be a tough taskfor the Chief Minister, considering that there are too manyaspirants, from the party old guard like G H Thippareddy, M PRenukacharya and the new entrants from Congress and JDS.