From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jun 5: Finally, the two-member HD Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-Congress coalition ministry is all set to be expanded on Wednesday.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala will be administering the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at Raj Bhavan at 2.12 pm.

The two parties, which held several rounds of consultations among their state and national leaders during the last several days, had finally reached an agreement on June 1 to distribute the 34 ministerial berths, including Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, in the ratio of 22 for Congress and 12 to JD(S).

Given the bitter acrimony and demands from legislators belonging to both parties for ministerial berths, it is understood that both parties will keep some of their slots vacant.

Congress leaders in New Delhi

According to informed sources, the Congress party with a long list of ministerial aspirants is likely to induct 16 to 17 legislators in to the ministry and keep 4 to 5 berths vacant. This is as part of the strategy to meet any exigencies of dissidence that may crop up after the expansion exercise.

The JD(S) too has decided too not to fill all the cabinet berths at one go.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, on Tuesday told reporters in Bengaluru, that at least nine MLAs from the JD(S) will be inducted in the first phase of cabinet expansion of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in the state.

"In the first phase (of the cabinet expansion), eight to nine members (MLAs from JD(S)) will be there (inducted in the cabinet). Two to three vacancies will be there," Kumaraswamy said when asked about the first phase of cabinet expansion.

He, however, ruled out any differences among JD(S) legislators.

He said party national president HD Deve Gowda has been given total freedom on the next phase of cabinet expansion and said cabinet berths and allocation of portfolios will be sorted out.

"There are no differences at all among our MLAs (over cabinet berths and portfolio allocations). Actually they have given total freedom to the national president to select the future cabinet," he told reporters.

Kumaraswamy also said the national president has advised all MLAs about giving good governance with their cooperation.

"We had a meeting with our MLAs. Our national president advised all MLAs to cooperate with the cabinet for developing the state and providing good governance," he said.

As per the coalition agreement on June 1, Congress was allocated 22 ministerial berths and 12 to JD(S).

Congress party, being the larger group in the coalition with 78 MLAs, has already got Dr G Parameshwara as Deputy Chief Minister, and has been allocated Home, Irrigation, Health, Agriculture and Women Child Welfare ministries, while JD(S) Finance and Excise, Public Works Department, Education, Tourism and Transport ministries.

Both parties also agreed on setting up of coordination and monitoring committee to oversee smooth functioning of the coalition.

A coordination committee of the two parties will be led by senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, while JD(S) leader Danish Ali will work as its convenor.

Names of that are figuring in the tentative list are: H D Revanna, G T Devegowda, N. Mahesh (BSP), D C Tammanna, C S Puttaraju, Bandeppa Kashampur, Venkata Rao Nadagouda, S R Srinivas (Gubbi), H.K. Kumaraswamy.

Though the Chief Minister is claiming that there were no differences in the party over selection, non-inclusion of Basavaraja Horatti, Vishwanath and A T Ramaswamy has disappointed party workers.

While Horatti got elected for seventh consecutive term, Vishwanath, a senior leader, quit Congress and joined JD(S) just before the polls.

Ramaswamy carved a niche in politics because of his commitment to fight against grabbing of public land.

In an interesting development, JD(S) senior leader H.D. Revanna, who was firm on getting two berths including Energy portfolio along with Public Works finally settled for PWD and the issue was sorted out after three hour long meeting with Deve Gowda, sources said.