Bommai has full freedom to pick his team, will not intervene: Yediyurappa

Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday distanced himself from promising ministerial positions to turncoat MLAs in Karnataka, in a U-turn that is sure to unnerve several of them, even as Basavaraj Bommai has started the process to expand his cabinet.

Seventeen MLAs switched loyalties two years ago, pulling down the then JDS-Congress coalition government and helping Yediyurappa install a BJP regime, in return for an unwritten promise that they all will get ministerial positions. Several of them served as ministers under Yediyurappa after getting re-elected on BJP tickets.

“I will not advise the chief minister on picking candidates to his ministry. It is totally his prerogative,” the BJP veteran said on Friday, when asked if he would advise his successor to give ministerial positions to this group, loosely called within the BJP as "outsiders". On Thursday, Yediyurappa had said that he would advise Bommai to honour his word to this group, raising hopes among these MLAs who have regrouped themselves, projecting themselves as a single bloc ever since Yediyurappa stepped down while lobbying hard to save their positions.


Meanwhile, Bommai met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and a few other union ministers in Delhi on Friday. The chief minister said he discussed issues related to Karnataka's development with the Prime Minister.

He termed these as courtesy visits. But cabinet expansion is said to have figured in his meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda Friday evening, although the party high command is unlikely to give nod to the expansion immediately. According to party sources, Bommai may induct a few MLAs into the cabinet initially, while leaving a few posts vacant for an expansion later.