Daijiworld Media Network-Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, Jun 11: Now it has been reliably learned that the much awaited expansion and reshuffle of the state cabinet will only take place after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) election is over.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday met Digvijay Singh who is in charge of Congress affairs in state and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and reportedly told them about his plan to postpone the much awaited Cabinet reshuffle.

Siddaramaiah suggested to these leaders that the expansion cum reshuffle should be taken up only after the BBMP election since winning the same should be a matter of priority now. He explained to them that with so many aspirants for the few available Cabinet seats, reshuffle at this point would be a wrong political move. He successfully convinced them that Palike election would become tougher if the dissidents do not cooperate during the polls. The party high command is said to have agreed to the chief minister’s point of view and advised him to take up the expansion at appropriate time.

Karnataka government had informed the Supreme Court earlier that it would hold the BBMP election by August 5. But later it filed an application before the Karnataka High Court seeking more time.

It is now believed that polls will be postponed only if the High Court grants time. Otherwise the election will take place in July end or early August.

The chief minister had said on Tuesday that he would meet Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. But Siddaramaiah did not meet them as there was no need to do so after meeting other leaders and convincing them about the postponement of expansion plans.

Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said he would visit Delhi again to discuss the issue of Cabinet expansion with the high command. He declined to say when the when the expansion would take place. But it is obvious that reshuffle has been postponed.

Siddaramaiah said the Congress would hold a convention of the party-backed candidates, who won the recent gram panchayat elections, in Bengaluru by the end of June.. Sonia Gandhi is expected to attend the convention.