Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who was in a dilemma about his proposed visit to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the annual meet of the World Economic Forum (WEF), has finally decided to go ahead with the trip. The meet is scheduled to be held from January 21 to 24.
Mr. Yediyurappa is under pressure from the 11 newly elected MLAs to get them ministerial berths as their political defection had helped him form a government in the State. He had earlier indicated that he might skip the foreign visit to focus on Cabinet expansion. However, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Monday, the Chief Minister said the trip would happen as planned.
Matter of message
Sources close to him said he has decided to attend the event as abruptly skipping programmes attended by global leaders would send a negative message. However, the BJP leader asserted that he would complete the Cabinet expansion before leaving. This is being seen as an effort to placate the 11 defectors, who are said to be upset over the delay in giving them ministerial berths. A month has passed since they won the Assembly bypelections on BJP ticket.
Denying media reports that he has not been given an appointment by the party high command to discuss the matter, Mr. Yediyurappa claimed that BJP national president Amit Shah had invited him to New Delhi on Monday, but he himself could not make the trip as he had to participate in an event in Raichur.
He said he would try to meet Mr. Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday and would cancel all his pre-scheduled events if the latter agreed to meet him. Otherwise, the Chief Minister plans to meet Mr. Shah during his visit to the State on January 17 and 18 to address a pro-Citizenship (Amendment) Act convention.
He sought to assure all the defectors that he would keep the promises made to them. He urged them not to give credence to rumours that the Cabinet expansion may be delayed.
Not in official schedule
The CM’s official engagements for Tuesday and Wednesday do not have any mention of a Delhi visit. This has triggered speculation in a section of the BJP State unit that Mr. Yediyurappa may have just been trying to pacify the defectors.
Some leaders are even sceptical about the possibility of expanding the Cabinet before the CM’s Davos visit.
