Hope that all 11 MLAs will be made ministers: Ramesh Jarkiholi

Amid speculation that all the 11 legislators, who won the assembly bypolls on BJP ticket after defecting from the Congress and JD(S), will not make it to the ministry during the upcoming expansion of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa-led cabinet, Ramesh Jarkiholi, MLA, on Tuesday expressed hope that all of them will be made ministers. According to party sources, there are talks within the state BJP that the expansion of the ministry was likely to take place on Friday, and Yediyurappa may travel to New Delhi on Thursday to get final approval from the party high command.

Though Yediyurappa himself along with several senior state BJP leaders have maintained that expansion will take place by this month end, there is still no official confirmation on the date. "According to us all 11 of us (will become ministers), in media there are reports that five or six, we are not aware of it.

We want all 11 to become ministers, let us see what high command says," said Jarkiholi who defected from Congress and won as BJP candidate from Gokak in the by-elections. Speaking to reporters at Nanjanagudu near Mysuru, he said certain things cannot be spoken out in public.

"We have come to BJP accepting its principles and believing in the leadership of Modi and Shah. Yediyurappa will remain strong as Chief Minister and we will support him for the development of the state," he said, adding that all BJP legislators are together.

Though Yediyurappa has made it clear that 11 of the disqualified JDS-Congress MLAs who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP ticket will be made ministers, according to sources, high command is not keen on inducting all of them. The BJP leadership is reportedly looking at inducting only maximum nine among the 11, with an intention of making way for more party loyalists into the ministry.

Currently there are 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Making it clear that he has not demanded Deputy Chief Minister post or any particular portfolio, Jarkiholi said "Im happy even if the Chief Minister doesn't give me any Minister post." Asked about delay in the expansion, he said "BJP is a national party, lot of things will be there, we are ready to wait for one more month." There was speculation that Jarkiholi, who played a key role in the fall of the coalition government and helped the BJP to come to power, may be made Deputy Chief Minister.

However, with already three DCMs in the Yediyurappa ministry, creation of more such posts was unlikely, sources said. Despite the Chief Minister categorically ruling out induction of candidates who were defeated in the bypoll in the ministry, Jarkiholi expressed hope that A H Vishwanth becomes minister.

"We are not sure in what context the Chief Minister has said it..it is true that CM had advised Vishwanath not to contest bypolls as he may lose..we urge he should be made minister as he is a senior. High command will take decision..we will talk to Chief Minister on this," he said.

ishwanath who had defected from JD(S) and contested on BJP ticket lost in the bypolls from Hunsur. However, he has been openly expressing his aspirations to become minister, citing promise made to him by Yediyurappa.

The cabinet expansion will not be an easy task for the Chief Minister as he will have to strike a balance by accommodating the victorious disqualified legislators as promised and also make place for the old guard, upset at being "neglected" in the first round of the induction exercise. He also has to give adequate representation to various castes and regions in his cabinet and also deal with allocation of key portfolios.

Also, disqualified legislator R Shankar who was not given ticket to contest bypolls, but was promised ministerial post by Yediyurappa, has openly expressed his ministerial aspirations, adding to the Chief Minister's worries. For inducting Shankar, he will have to be made MLC, but Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who is not a legislator, is also contender for the one vacant council post, for which bypolls have been scheduled on February 17.

Openly expressing his aspiration for candidature to MLC post, Savadi said he was a politician and not sanyasi. However, he maintained that he will abide by the party decision..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)