Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that seven to eight new ministers will take oath on 13 January as he expands his cabinet, and indicated that one among the incumbents may be dropped.
“New ministers will take oath at the Raj Bhavan at around 3:30 pm tomorrow (Wednesday), the list of seven or eight ministers who will be inducted will be released in the night. I have intimated those whose names have been confirmed, if there are some minor changes, will inform them,” Yediyurappa said.
Asked if anyone will be dropped from the ministry as there are only seven vacant berths, he said, “It is being discussed, we will see, we may have to drop someone, will think about it and make a decision by night… there is no confusion.”
Noting that the state Cabinet headed by Yediyurappa will be expanded on 13 January, an official press release by the state information Department said that Governor Vaju Bhai Rudha Bhai Vala will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new members, who will be inducted to the Cabinet at the Raj Bhavan.
The Chief Minister had on Monday said that BJP national president J.P. Nadda and the party general secretary in-charge of state Arun Singh will be invited for the swearing-in.
On Sunday he had held discussions with Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi about the cabinet exercise, following which he indicated that seven members will be inducted.
There are speculations within the BJP circles, also in the section of media, that a couple of ministers are likely to be dropped.
Amid such speculations Excise Minister H. Nagesh and Women and Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle have maintained that they had not heard from the Chief Minister or the party leadership in this regard.
According to party sources, keeping up the promise, Congress-JD(S) rebels like RR Nagar MLA Munirathna, and MLCs R Shankar and M.T.B. Nagaraj, who helped the BJP come to power and are now party legislators, are most likely to be inducted.
Names of senior BJP MLAs like Umesh Katti (Hukkeri), S. Angara (Sullia), Murugesh Nirani (Bilgi) are doing rounds in the party circles, along with Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali and MLC C.P. Yogeshwar, they said.
Eight-time MLA from Hukkeri Umesh Katti said he had received a call from the Chief Minister asking him to come to Bengaluru.
“My trip to Bengaluru was already planned as there is a committee meeting tomorrow, also, the Chief Minister last night asked me to come to Bengaluru, so I’m going. If CM and party leadership bless me, I will take oath and work for the state,” he said as he left Belagavi.
Six-time MLA Angara too said he was heading to Bengaluru for a committee meeting, and will leave it to God about becoming the minister. “I have never lobbied for a Minister post and will never do it. If given an opportunity will work honestly,” he said.
Yediyurappa has been waiting for some time now to carry out the cabinet exercise, as he was asked by Nadda during their meeting in New Delhi on 18 November to wait for the clearance from the central leadership.
The cabinet expansion or reshuffle is expected to be a tightrope walk for the Chief Minister, considering that there are too many aspirants, from the party old guard like G.H. Thippareddy, M.P. Renukacharya to Congress-JD(S) rebels who are now BJP legislators.
The cabinet currently has 27 members, and seven berths are still vacant.
