Cabinet expansion: Take up grievances with BJP high command, says Yediyurappa

Amid simmering discontent posthis cabinet expansion, Karnataka Chief Minister B SYediyurappa on Thursday asked such sulking BJP leaders to takeup the matter with the national leadership and urged them torefrain from making any remarks affecting the party.

The chief minister had expanded his cabinet on Wednesdayafter much deliberations and the excercise already saw someaspirants who could not make it publicly air theirdispleasure.

''If the BJP MLAs have any objection they can go to Delhi,meet our national leaders and give them all the informationand complaints they have. I won't object to that but I askthem not to damage the party's reputation by talking ill,''Yediyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru.

Noting that the central leaders will take a call on theircomplaints, he said the seniors in the party are aware of thefacts.

Later, speaking to reporters in Davangere, he insistedhe could do what was within his limits, on the matter andwarned those speaking ill about him.

Yediyurappa, however, did not respond to queries on thenon-induction of Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna, a formerCongress man who joined the saffron party, despite theformer's promise to induct him in his council of ministers.

Yediyurappa on Wednesday expanded his 17-month-oldgovernment by inducting seven new Ministers and droppingExcise Minister H Nagesh.

The other aspirants-- Basanagouda Patil, M PRenukacharya, Sathish Reddy, Thippa Reddy, S A Ramadass and AH Vishwanath, who could not make it have been quite vocal inexpressing their displeasure.

Yatnal in particular has been critical of the chiefminister and even alleged his family of 'hijacking' theparty.

He had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enddynastyic politics from Yediyurappa's family in Karnataka,which has a chief minister, an MP (B Y Raghavendra) and a BJPstate vice president (B Y Vijayendra).

''The CM has made those who are blackmailing him asMinisters. Three people- one political secretary and twoMinisters have been blackmailing with some of Yediyurappa'sCDs for three months.

One who is becoming Minister today along with CDblackmail was also involved in payment of money to Vijayendra(CM's son),'' Yatnal had said.

Vishwanath on Thursday called upon people to discuss the'Son Stroke', a jibe seen as targeting the chief minister'sfamily.

''Let the discussion start from Raichur. The topic isSon Stroke. I hope you understand it,'' Vishwanath said in anapparent reference to Yediyurappa allegdly giving prominenceto his children and family members in the party.

He said the Janata family was decimated in the 1990sdue to 'son stroke', whether it be Ramakrishna Hegde, SBangarappa, J H Patil or H D Deve Gowda, apparently referringto family politics involving these leaders.

''Now the same son stroke is hitting the BJP. If thatcontinues in the state there will be son stroke inKarnataka,'' Vishwanath said.

He had earlier switched over from the JD(S) to BJP andresigned from the Assembly in 2019 leading to the toppling ofthe Congress-JD(S) coalition government, headed by H DKumaraswamy.

The dissenting MLAs were upset that region wise,Bengaluru and Belagavi got more prominence in the cabinet.

In terms of caste equation, the Veerashaiva-Lingayatand Vokkaliga legislators got more representation.