BENGALURU: Even as the ministerial aspirants wait for word from the party bosses on expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who returned from a “fruitful” visit to New Delhi on Saturday, said he plans to take up the exercise before the start of the legislature session on Monday.
But with just a day left, party sources said they were unsure if the expansion can be done before Monday.
The Yediyurappa Cabinet currently has 28 ministers, including the CM, and six berths are still vacant.
While MLCs M T B Nagaraj, C P Yogeshwar and R Shankar are likely to be inducted into the ministry, the names of senior leaders Umesh Katti and Aravind Limbavali are also doing the rounds. While the CM is hoping to get the nod before the assembly session begins, sources close to him said the party top brass is in no hurry and the cabinet expansion may happen only after the session.
‘Centre gave nod to many projects’
“It is unlikely to happen before October first week’’ said the sources. Since many seniors are lobbying for berths, the CM will have to do a balancing act, choosing between old BJP hands and the new entrants, the sources pointed out.
The CM said he had discussed ministry expansion with BJP national president JP Nadda, who will discuss the issue with the PM on Saturday and get back to him. The Centre has given the nod for many state government projects and accepted other demands. Other Union ministers he had met regarding several projects and clearances, had also responded positively, he told reporters. “The results will be seen in the coming days,” he added.