BENGALURU: With victory to four state assemblies firmly behind it, the BJP high command is likely to go ahead with an overhaul of the Karnataka party unit, including a reshuffle of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s cabinet in April, to prepare the ground for the 2023 assembly elections.
At least ten ministers may have to pave the way for fresh faces and will be accommodated in party organisation posts.
But those who are unlikely to contest the next assembly polls due to various factors, including age, and are eager to bring in their sons or daughters as successors would be retained, party sources informed TNIE.
The MLAs likely to be inducted into the cabinet include Raju Gowda, P Rajeev, Aravind Bellad, MP Renukacharya, Dattatreya C Patil Revoor, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Poornima Srinivas. Any surprise move by the high command cannot be ruled out, sources said.
Meanwhile, KMF chairman and Arabhavi MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi has started batting for his brother Ramesh Jarkiholi, and the latter is expected to join the cabinet too.
“Ramesh Jarkiholi has got a clean chit in all court petitions related to the CD case. The party had promised to give him a ministerial berth after coming clean. I hope that good things start happening with him in the coming days. The cabinet expansion is to happen in the first week of April,” he stated in Belagavi on Saturday.
Renukacharya too told TNIE that the cabinet reshuffle would take place before April 10. According to sources, a central team had visited Karnataka recently to take stock of the political situation.
The reshuffle would take place with scope for social engineering as well, on the lines of Uttar Pradesh, they added.
Bommai, who is expected to visit New Delhi soon after the assembly session to discuss inter-state water dispute issues, following an all party meeting he held recently, will also discuss the reshuffle.
The makeover of the ruling BJP dispensation is likely to extend to new ministers taking on the responsibility of implementing Bommai’s budgetary promises, to build a narrative of ‘development’ in the state, to impress upon the people and give a ‘feel good’ sense to defy the anti-incumbency factor, observed political pundits.