Amid clamour for Cabinet berths by many BJP legislators ahead of the proposed expansion, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Tuesday said only those legislators who have won the byelections would be inducted.
Among the defectors who contested the byelections, N. Nagaraju (MTB) and A.H. Vishwanath, who contested from Hoskote and Hunsuru, respectively, lost. They have, however, been ministerial hopefuls. The duo had also met the Chief Minister earlier.
“The question of others does not arise now. Also, we will be inducting a few other legislators too,” Mr. Yediyurappa told reporters here. He said he would be discussing the Cabinet expansion issue with the party’s central leadership on December 21 or 22.
Under pressure from his partymen to accommodate them in the Cabinet, Mr. Yediyurappa’s statement is drawing some clarity for the first time on who among the defectors would be accommodated.
Hectic political activity was witnessed in the State capital, with many Cabinet berth hopefuls meeting Mr. Yediyurappa. Newly elected legislators Ramesh Jharkiholi, K.C. Narayana Gowda, and Shrimant Patil, and senior BJP leader Umesh Katti were among the aspirants who met Mr. Yediyurappa. While G. Somashekar Reddy is learnt to have lobbied for Deputy Chief Minister’s post to Health Minister B. Sriramulu, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi also met Mr. Yediyurappa.
The number of aspirants seems to be only growing, making Cabinet expansion a complex affair to Mr. Yediyurappa too. In Chitradurga, the former Minister Goolihatti Shekar threw his hat into the ring by seeking a berth in the Cabinet, and reminded the Chief Minister that he was among the first to go to the BJP in 2008, paving the way for Mr. Yediyurappa to become the Chief Minister. Five-time legislator from Chitradurga G.H. Thippa Reddy too expressed his desire to become a Minister and serve the people.
Meanwhile, first-time legislator representing Nanjangud Harshavardhan also sought a Cabinet berth based on sub-caste (Scheduled Castes – Right) and region. He said that since his father-in-law and Chamarajanagar MP V. Srinivas Prasad has not been accommodated in the Union Cabinet, he should be given a Cabinet berth here. “The only person of my sub-caste in the Cabinet is H. Nagesh. But he is an Independent. Also, if Mr. Prasad was in the Union Cabinet, I would not have asked for it,” he said.
