Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is in New Delhi to discuss various irrigation and developmental issues with Union Ministers, is also expected to broach the issue of dissatisfaction among a few Ministers about their portfolios and heartburns among disappointed ministerial aspirants.
However, party senior leaders are of the view that the central leadership is unlikely to allow any abrupt change in portfolios. “It appears that any change may be effected only when ministerial expansion takes place,” said a senior functionary.
Any expansion exercise may take at least a month as the State legislature session too is about to commence. “There is a likelihood of the high command suggesting a reshuffle along with ministerial expansion. One need not be surprised if one or two Ministers are dropped,” said the leader.
“Changing the portfolios of dissatisfied Ministers immediately will send a wrong message and trigger a similar demand by more Ministers,” said a leader. Tourism Minister B.S. Anand Singh has been sulking over the portfolio allotted to him and embarrassed the party as well as the Chief Minister by delaying taking charge of his ministerial responsibilities.
There is a feeling among senior leaders in the party that one or two ministerial berths of the total four vacant may be kept vacant in a bid to keep the hopes alive for ministerial aspirants. There is no clarity on whether B.Y. Vijayendra, son of the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, is still in the race for the ministerial post. However, several leaders in the party State unit believe that he may not get a ministerial post for now as he is not a member of the House.
Meanwhile, indication of the pressure building on the Chief Minister from ministerial aspirants was visible with MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi, who is camping in Delhi, demanding a ministerial berth for his brother Ramesh Jarkiholi and associate Srimath Patil.
On Wednesday, the Chief Minister met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Later in the evening, Mr. Bommai called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
