Yeddyurappa to expand cabinet after winning confidence vote
The chief minister is believed to be seriously considering expansion of his five-member cabinet on November 18, a day before the scheduled floor test in the Karnataka assembly.
By TNN |
BANGALORE: Despite coalition partner JD(S) opting to get its quota of 18 ministers, including deputy chief minister, inducted into the BS Yeddyurappa-led BJP-JD(S) coalition ministry on November 21, the chief minister is believed to be seriously considering expansion of his five-member cabinet on November 18, a day before the scheduled floor test in the Karnataka assembly.
It is, however, not clear whether the move to go in for a cabinet expansion from the BJP’s quota of 16 ministerial slots is final. The number of ministers to be inducted into the cabinet is also not known. Four ministers were sworn in on Monday along with Mr Yeddyurappa.
The JD(S), which held its legislature party meeting on Wednesday, has decided that the party’s quota of ministers will be filled in on November 21. Obviously rattled by BJP’s crowd mobilisation to witness the installation of its first CM in the south on Monday, the JD(S) has also planned a massive rally in the Bangalore Palace Grounds to demonstrate its public support.
Given the intense lobbying within the JD(S) for ministerial berths and the demands from a group 21 first-time MLAs for greater representation, the JD(S) legislature party meeting has unanimously resolved to leave the final choice to party supremo H D Deve Gowda.
The JD(S) legislature party, however, is understood to have suggested that experienced senior party leaders like M P Prakash and H D Revanna should be inducted into the cabinet while most of the other erstwhile ministers could be drafted for party work.
Incidentally, the former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who has been re-elected as the JD(S) legislature party leader at its meeting held on Sunday, is tipped to be anointed as the deputy chief minister cum finance minister.
With senior Dalit leader D Manjunath and state party president N Merajuddin Patel from the minority Muslim community emerging as strong contenders, the party has decided not announce the name of the candidate for deputy chief minister and has preferred to delay it till the last minute.
Mr Yeddyurappa’s plan to go in for the cabinet expansion from his party’s quota is seen as an attempt to pacify senior leader like K S Easwarappa and other strong aspirants like Katta Subramanya Naidu and C M Udasi, who are understood to be miffed at being left out.
The chief minister, who is yet to allocate portfolios to his four ministerial colleagues, has already indicated that the task will be taken up only after the JD(S) ministers joined the cabinet.
In a bid to assuage the ruffled feelings of Kumaraswamy and other JD(S) leaders over his decision pertaining to the posting of some officers to sensitive posts as also Wednesday’s cabinet decision on giving the green signal to mega projects like developing airports at Shimoga, the chief minister’s home district, and Gulbarga, Yeddyurappa has publicly announced that he would abstain from taking any major decisions until the floor test on November 19 and formation of the full-fledged cabinet. Yeddyurappa has also indicated that he would be meeting Mr Gowda soon.
It is, however, not clear whether the move to go in for a cabinet expansion from the BJP’s quota of 16 ministerial slots is final. The number of ministers to be inducted into the cabinet is also not known. Four ministers were sworn in on Monday along with Mr Yeddyurappa.
The JD(S), which held its legislature party meeting on Wednesday, has decided that the party’s quota of ministers will be filled in on November 21. Obviously rattled by BJP’s crowd mobilisation to witness the installation of its first CM in the south on Monday, the JD(S) has also planned a massive rally in the Bangalore Palace Grounds to demonstrate its public support.
Given the intense lobbying within the JD(S) for ministerial berths and the demands from a group 21 first-time MLAs for greater representation, the JD(S) legislature party meeting has unanimously resolved to leave the final choice to party supremo H D Deve Gowda.
The JD(S) legislature party, however, is understood to have suggested that experienced senior party leaders like M P Prakash and H D Revanna should be inducted into the cabinet while most of the other erstwhile ministers could be drafted for party work.
Incidentally, the former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who has been re-elected as the JD(S) legislature party leader at its meeting held on Sunday, is tipped to be anointed as the deputy chief minister cum finance minister.
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With senior Dalit leader D Manjunath and state party president N Merajuddin Patel from the minority Muslim community emerging as strong contenders, the party has decided not announce the name of the candidate for deputy chief minister and has preferred to delay it till the last minute.
Mr Yeddyurappa’s plan to go in for the cabinet expansion from his party’s quota is seen as an attempt to pacify senior leader like K S Easwarappa and other strong aspirants like Katta Subramanya Naidu and C M Udasi, who are understood to be miffed at being left out.
The chief minister, who is yet to allocate portfolios to his four ministerial colleagues, has already indicated that the task will be taken up only after the JD(S) ministers joined the cabinet.
In a bid to assuage the ruffled feelings of Kumaraswamy and other JD(S) leaders over his decision pertaining to the posting of some officers to sensitive posts as also Wednesday’s cabinet decision on giving the green signal to mega projects like developing airports at Shimoga, the chief minister’s home district, and Gulbarga, Yeddyurappa has publicly announced that he would abstain from taking any major decisions until the floor test on November 19 and formation of the full-fledged cabinet. Yeddyurappa has also indicated that he would be meeting Mr Gowda soon.
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