BENGALURU: Even as the Karnataka cabinet has decided to defer the 15-day monsoon session of the legislature to August owing to the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls, the cabinet will likely be expanded anytime between July 10 and 14, informed sources told The New Indian Express.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is expected to return to India on July 8 after which Chief Minister Shivakumar will visit the former in New Delhi to take a final call on the expansion, sources added.
Shivakumar, along with his wife Usha and younger brother and former MP DK Suresh, visited former CM Siddaramaiah at the latter’s residence ‘Cauvery’ in Bengaluru on Friday. It was a courtesy call by Shivakumar to express his gratitude to Siddaramaiah for completing one month in office after the smooth transition of power, and to keep the latter in good humour. Shivakumar also briefly discussed the cabinet expansion, sources added.
Meanwhile, ministerial aspirants— mostly from the Siddaramaiah camp— MLAs Ashok Pattan, AS Ponnanna and KN Rajanna, and MLC MR Seetharam, also rushed to ‘Cauvery’ and held deliberations.
Both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are likely to visit Delhi. Some of the aspirants are also lobbying through KPCC president BK Hariprasad, who is leaving for Delhi on Saturday, sources added.
Interestingly, even as the Congress high command has asked Shivakumar not to entertain lobbying by aspirants, several leaders, including Laxmi Hebbalkar, CS Appaji Nadagouda, Srinivas Mane, Gaviappa, Hampanagouda Badarli, among others, reportedly met AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal in New Delhi recently.
Payment quota jibe from Vijayendra
BJP state chief BY Vijayendra made a serious allegation that one should make a payment to get a cabinet berth in the Congress government. “There is one management quota and the other payment quota (to get cabinet berths), which I had said earlier as well. The CM knows the reality that if the cabinet is expanded, the foundation of this government will be shaken. That is why SIR has made an excuse to defer the session,” he said.
