Cabinet expansion, the next challenge

It is likely to happen early next week

The next challenge for Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is Cabinet expansion, which may be complicated because several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders aspire to be inducted too, apart from defectors who have won on BJP ticket. There are 16 vacant berths and the party is said to be keen to keep at least three of them open.

Mr. Yediyurappa told mediapersons on Monday that the party would stand by the word given to the defectors and he would be visiting Delhi in the next two to three days to consult the high command. The expansion is expected to happen only early next week.

All the 11 defectors to the BJP from Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) are expected to make it to the Cabinet. However, the fate of two who did not win — A.H. Vishwanath and N. Nagaraju (MTB) — remains uncertain.

“The Chief Minister is keen on the induction of Mr. Nagaraju after making him an MLC, but not Mr. Vishwanath,” a senior leader said. Mr. Yediyurappa had publicly assured disqualified MLA R. Shankar that he would make him an MLC. Two senior MLCs have been tipped off to be ready to resign to accommodate rebels in the Upper House, sources said.

Meanwhile, MLAs Umesh Katti and Arvind Limbavali are lobbying hard for berths. The party is also keen to induct a Dalit into the Cabinet. S. Angara and M.P. Kumaraswamy are leading that race.

Maintaining regional balance in the Cabinet will be a big challenge, party sources said. Bengaluru and Belagavi already have four and two Ministers, respectively, including Deputy Chief Ministers. But three defectors have won from each of the districts, apart from a prominent aspirant each to make it to the Cabinet.