BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who called on BJP national president JP Nadda at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday evening, held a marathon one-on-one discussion about the cabinet expansion and its impact on the party organisation. With this, the much awaited cabinet reshuffle is likely to happen soon. He later visited Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi at his residence, and discussed certain issues for over an hour.
As the issue had already been discussed with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his Karnataka visit, Nadda’s nod was only a formality, according to sources. Bommai discussed the impact of cabinet expansion on the government and party organisation, and keeping that in view, either expansion or reshuffle is likely to take place soon. But whether it will happen before April 10 or after the BJP state executive, slated to be held on April 16 and 17 at Vijayanagara, is yet to be decided, a source informed TNIE.
Bommai reportedly met Nadda earlier in the morning too, on the sidelines of BJP Foundation Day, and sought an appointment to discuss in detail the list of probables. Apparently, he stayed back in New Delhi to discuss the issue, as the aspirants too are camping there, eagerly awaiting the outcome of the meeting.
According to sources, the duo spoke about inducting new faces and the seniors to be dropped, and how to make use of their experience to help the party organisation with the upcoming assembly polls. Giving representation to different communities was also discussed. Bommai had held a round of talks with Amit Shah, following which general secretary B L Santhosh also approved of the expansion, sources said. If the cabinet is expanded, Bommai has four vacant berths to fill, and if it’s a reshuffle, at least eight ministers would be dropped, sources said.
After election results of five states were declared, aspirants kept up pressure on Bommai to expand his cabinet. The contenders include MLC C P Yogishwara, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, Dharwad South MLA Aravind Bellad, Surpur MLA Rajugowda, Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat, Hassan MLA Preetham Gowda, Hiriyur MLA Poornima Srinivas, Kalaburagi South MLA Dattatreya Patil Revoor, CM’s political secretary and Honnali MLA M P Renukacharya, Kudachi MLA P Rajeev, Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Mudigere MLA M P Kumaraswamy, Thippareddy from Chitradurga, among others.Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa’s son and state BJP vice-president B Y Vijayendra’s name was also discussed, according to sources.
PM gives task to Bommai: Develop 75 lakes
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assigned various tasks for party leaders, and instructed me to develop 75 lakes in Karnataka. It will be launched as a special programme in Kolar district under the leadership of Modi,” Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said in New Delhi on Wednesday. Bommai briefed the press after taking part in the BJP Foundation Day fete, where Modi addressed party leaders and booth-level workers. Bommai also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and claimed that she had responded positively to the projects discussed. Giving approval for declaring Upper Bhadra project as a National Project, he said the process is in its final stage. Sitharaman will visit Karnataka to convene a special meeting to address issues related to Central projects, he informed. He also called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with regard to getting affiliation for Sangolli Rayanna School as Sainik School.