Karnataka Cabinet Sees Long Due Expansion, Only Defectors To Be Inducted As Minister

Six months after being sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka, B S Yediyurappa will finally expand his cabinet. Putting an end to the speculations regarding turncoats versus party old loyalists who were also lobbying intensely, Yediyurappa proposed the induction of the just ten of the defectors to his cabinet.

While 10+3 was being said to be the formula as the CM was said to have strong demands from various BJP loyalists, the list seems to have for now kept the party men waiting. The members of legislative assembly who will be inducted today are 10 of the 11 who recently won the by-polls after having defected and led to the fall of the previous Congress-JDS coalition in the state.

The ten members to be inducted are S T Somashekhar from Yeshwantpur, Jarkiholi Ramesh from Gokak, Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, Byratti Basavaraj from K R Puram, Shivaram Hebbar, Basavanagowda Patil from Hirekerur, K Gopalaiah, Narayana Gowda and Shrimant Patil.

In his letter to the Governor, he sought for the above to be administered the oath on Thursday(6 February) at 10:30 am at the Raj Bhavan.

The missing names of Umesh Katti, CP Yogeshwar and Mahesh Kumatahalli have now given scope for more dissidence as these were said to have made to the final list until yesterday. Apart from the community based representation, lobbying is said to have been on from six MLAs from the coast which has given the highest number of leaders to the party, who sought that the BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel who also comes from the region ensure the induction of atleast two into the cabinet.

But all that seems to have been now put on hold.