BENGALURU: The BJP high command in New Delhi is said to be taking time over the Karnataka cabinet composition, to ensure there is no regional imbalance when Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa gets the go-ahead. This is said to be one of the chief reasons for the delay. Though news of cabinet expansion has been doing the rounds for several months, nothing materialised. Yediyurappa and Deputy CM Govind Karjol visited Delhi, but returned without getting approval.
Later, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi visited Delhi, and even told reporters that all those who had helped form the government would get their due, but nothing happened. On Sunday, Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra too visited Delhi.Currently, the cabinet has seven ministers from Bengaluru and four from Belagavi district, while many districts in North and South Karnataka remain unrepresented.
With Muniratna’s victory from RR Nagar, and MLCs Vishwanath, CP Yogeshwar and others joining the list of aspirants, the exercise looks tough. A senior BJP leader told TNIE, on condition of anonymity, that Muniratna’s induction would put the number of ministers from Bengaluru at eight, which is over 25 per cent of the cabinet berths.
Belagavi too has heavy representation
The party high command is taking time so as to give equal representation to MLAs, both region-wise and caste-wise. Those likely to be dropped are CC Patil, Shashikala Jolle from Belagavi, and V Somanna or S Suresh Kumar from Bengaluru.