Union Home Minister Amit Shah Arrives In Karnataka Amid Talks Over Cabinet Expansion

During Amit Shah's Karnataka visit, the senior BJP leader is also likely to strategise for the party in the wake of the Assembly elections in 2023.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah (File Photo/PTI)

Chennai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a visit to Bengaluru, is scheduled to hold several meetings on Tuesday before taking a final call on the cabinet expansion or reshuffle.

He is also chairing a core committee meeting at Jagannath Bhavan, the state BJP headquarters in Malleshwaram between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Amit Shah will finalise on the cabinet expansion and strategise for the party in the wake of the Assembly elections in 2023.

BL Santhosh, the National General Secretary has stirred a hornet's nest in the state by hinting at a massive change in the leadership of the state. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has maintained that the statements were made in the context of civic polls. However, party sources confirm that anything can happen.

Santhosh has further stated that the party will never back family politics, and its experiment to give representation to new faces has yielded results in other states. Sources in the party said that the comment was intended towards former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa who is looking forward to accommodating his son B.Y. Vijayendra in the cabinet.

Amit Shah will also take a call on giving cabinet post to Ramesh Jarkiholi, which is also crucial for BJP as it could have direct impact on 19 Assembly seats of Belagavi district and also consolidation of the Backward Class votes to the BJP across the state.

Jagadish Shettar, former Chief Minister, who rejected cabinet berth saying that Chief Minister Bommai is his junior, is also expected to talk about his role during the next Assembly elections with Amit Shah.

Shah was received by Chief Minister Bommai and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Mines, Pralhad Joshi at Bengaluru HAL airport.

Shah will garland the statue of Lord Basaveshwara at Basaveshwara Circle near Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru at 10 a.m. to mark the occasion of Basava Jayanthi.

Later he will lay the foundation stone for the Nrupatunga University on the Nrupatunga Road. He will also virtually inaugurate the Forensic Science Laboratory in Bellary from Bengaluru.

Amit Shah will reach NATGRID Campus in Yelahanka and inaugurate NATGRID Disaster Recovery Centre (DRC). The programme is organised by the Union Home Ministry.

He will be attending the luncheon hosted by the Chief Minister at his official residence between 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and then visit BJP headquarters in Malleshwaram. At 5.25 p.m., Amit Shah will attend the closing ceremony of Khelo India University Games at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor stadium.