Karnataka Cabinet To Expand Today; CM BS Yediyurappa Proposes Names of 17 MLAs To Governor

This will be the first ever expansion of Yediyurappas ministry after he assumed office on July 26 and proved his government's majority on the floor of the Assembly on July 29.

Twenty five days after assuming office, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will expand his over Cabinet today by inducting 17 legislators as ministers in the first phase.

New Delhi: Twenty five days after assuming office, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will expand his over Cabinet today by inducting 17 legislators as ministers in the first phase. This will be the first ever expansion of Yediyurappas ministry after he assumed office on July 26 and proved his government's majority on the floor of the Assembly on July 29. The CM has proposed names of 17 MLAs to the governor for induction into the state Cabinet. According to a list shared, the 17 names include former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, former Karnataka Home Minister R Ashoka, senior state BJP leader KS Eshwarappa, former state Health Minister B Sreeramulu and Independent MLA H Nagesh, who was one of the ministers and MLAs to have recently quit the Congress-Janata Dal Secular (JDS) coalition government in the state, triggering its fall.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa proposes names of 17 MLAs to Governor for induction as Cabinet Ministers. pic.twitter.com/ncf6hjtBuN

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2019

Having run the government with a "one-man cabinet" for over 20 days, the Chief Minister on Saturday managed to get the nod from BJP national president Amit Shah to undertake the exercise on August 20. Governor Vajubhai Vala will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed Council of Ministers at the Raj Bhavan at 10:30 AM on Tuesday. Yediyurappa earlier on Monday said, "The cabinet expansion will take place between 10:30 AM, and 11:30 AM tomorrow. I have already written a letter to the Governor in this regard (to administer oath). I have asked the Chief Secretary to make all arrangements." After returning from Delhi on Saturday night, Yediyurappa said he had held talks with Shah and would get clear instructions from the central leadership by Monday evening on who all were to be inducted. Asked about the number of ministers likely to be inducted, he had said, "13 to 14 people are likely to be inducted into the cabinet in the first phase,there may be plus or minus one or two,we have now recommended 13 to 14 of them." The BJP central leadership is likely to have its complete say on the list of Ministers, which may have a mix of young and old guards, a party functionary said, adding that until the list was out, whatever they say would be mere speculation. According to reports, the chief minister's loyalists are worried over BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh, who is from Karnataka and considered Yediyurappa's bete noire, being consulted before clearing the list. Yediyurappa has had a tightrope to walk during the cabinet expansion as he had to craft a fine caste and regional balance in view of a large number of aspirants. But with the high command having its final say, any voices of open expression of dissent were unlikely, sources said. They pointed out that there was no open expression of ministerial aspirations or lobbying for posts as legislators feared that it may go against their interests. With no decision yet by the Supreme Court on disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs, whose resignation from the Assembly paved the way for the BJP to gain power, the Chief Minister has no immediate compulsion to accommodate them. The then speaker Ramesh Kumar had disqualified 17 Congress-JD(S) rebel under the anti-defection law till the end of the assembly term, which they have challenged in the Supreme Court. Only on getting any relief from the Supreme Court can the disqualified MLA contest the bypolls. According to sources, if they get re-elected, BJP plans to make them Ministers as promised and hence Yediyurappa would not fill all the remaining 33 ministerial positions in one go. Amid pressure from within, the opposition Congress and JD(S) too had hit out at the BJP over the delay in cabinet expansion and had even raised questions about government's "existence". Congress had even said that Yediyurappa's one man cabinet administration "resembled President's rule." (with inputs from PTI)