Amidst fast-moving developments over Jammu & Kashmir that has kept the BJP central leadership busy, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa reached New Delhi on Monday night to hold consultations with the party high command on Cabinet expansion.
Sources said that if all goes well, expansion was likely by the weekend. However, they said Cabinet expansion would happen in phases and by weekend, the State was likely to get only a partial expansion with several berths kept vacant for second phase and also for rebels.
Mr. Yediyurappa has been the sole member of the Cabinet for 11 days now, drawing sharp criticism from the Opposition.
Reportedly upset over the delay in Cabinet expansion, he has taken a long list of potential Ministers and his recommendation of around 25 persons, sources said. The central leadership will hammer out the final list in consultation with the RSS and other factions in the State unit, sources said.
However, the expansion may not happen as early as Mr. Yediyurappa may have preferred. The appeal by 15 rebels against their disqualification will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Friday, where they hope to get relief. Sources in the party said the expansion will mostly happen only after the Supreme Court verdict on Friday.
In his two-day trip to Delhi, Mr. Yediyurappa is scheduled to meet Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union Ministers. However, the schedule does not include a meeting with BJP national president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He has also convened a meeting of all Members of Parliament from the State on Tuesday.
The meetings will discuss issues faced by the State, including severe drought and floods in north Karnataka, sources said.
