The Karnataka Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, is set for the expansion on Friday and two Independent legislators — R. Shankar (Ranebennur) and H. Nagesh (Mulbagal) — will be inducted into the Cabinet.
Governor Vajubhai R. Vala will administer oath to the new Ministers at Raj Bhavan in the afternoon. This is the second expansion of the Cabinet after a Congress-JD(S) coalition was stitched together following the fractured mandate in the State Legislative Assembly election last year.
The Cabinet expansion, earlier scheduled on June 12, was postponed owing to the three-day State mourning following the death of writer Girish Karnad on Monday.
The Cabinet expansion exercise, at this point, is largely seen as an attempt to douse discontent in the governing coalition and ensure stability of the government.
Mr. Shankar was included when the Cabinet was formed for the first time in June 2018, but dropped during the first expansion of the Cabinet in December 2018. The latest induction would ensure that the Independents do not stray to the BJP.
The government has been wobbly ever since the former Minister and Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi threatened to quit the party along with an unspecified number of supporters after he was dropped after the first Cabinet reshuffle last December.
The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (105 MLAs), which is short of eight MLAs to form the government, has constantly been attempting to lure two Independent MLAs and some coalition parties’ legislators to form the government.
The decision on expansion was taken after several days of discussion on whether to undertake a Cabinet reshuffle or expansion.
However, the expansion is unlikely to fully solve the troubles in the ruling coalition. This exercise is expected to disappoint many legislators who are aspiring to become Ministers, including senior leaders like Ramalinga Reddy and R. Roshan Baig.
Shankar to take primary membership of Cong.
Mr. Shankar will take primary membership of the Congress after being sworn in as Minister in the H.D. Kumaraswamy government on Friday.
Mr. Shankar, to be inducted into the Cabinet under the Congress quota, will become member of the Congress, source said. He defeated former Legislative Assembly Speaker K.B. Koliwad of the Congress in Ranebennur constituency in the 2018 Assembly election.
Midterm poll early next year: Koliwad
Mr. Koliwad has predicted the collapse of the coalition government in the next six months and elections to the Assembly early next year.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Mr. Koliwad said the continuation of the coalition government was not good for the Congress. Owing to alliance, the Congress suffered a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha election.
The Congress would go alone in the next Assembly elections and would secure a majority of seats, the Congress leader said.
He claimed that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was in favour of the mid-term polls and he had indicated this to the party high command.
