Karnataka cabinet expansion today: Shettar, Ashok among 17 names cleared by BJP leadership

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will expand his three week old one-man Cabinet today by inducting 17 ministers.

The BJP leadership has attempted to balance caste and regional equations.

A lion's share of the Cabinet positions will go to Lingayats, also the largest community in Karnataka. There are 37 Lingayat MLAs out of 105-member BJP MLAs.


The following BJP members are tipped to become ministers. V Somanna, R Ashok, CN Ashwathnarayan, S.Suresh Kumar, CT Ravi, KS Eshwarappa, Jagadish Shettar, Prabhu Chavan, Shashikala Jolle, Govind Karjol, B Sriramulu, Kota Srinivasa Poojari, H Nagesh, JC Madhuswamy, Basavaraj Bommai, Laxman Savadi and CC Patil.

The surprise induction is going to be that of Laxman Savadi who is a former BJP MLA.

The Chief Minister can have a 34-member Cabinet, including himself, and with the induction of 18 ministers, he will be keeping 16 positions vacant for a further expansion at a later date.