Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Sep 20: The dreams of aspirants of state BJP, who were eager to join the state cabinet even before the start of the assembly session, have shattered as the BJP high command did not give the go-ahead to chief minister B S Yediyurappa, though he had been to Delhi to discuss the matter with the high command.

It is said that the cabinet is likely to be expanded only after the completion of the assembly session. It is inevitable for the root and migrant MLAs of BJP, who were eyeing the ministerial positions, to wait for some more days.

According to party sources, the high command have postponed the cabinet expansion activity as the parliament session is in progress at one end and union home minister Amit Shah is just recovering from the Covid-19 bout. In addition, the state legislative session is also going to begin from Monday September 21. Considering all these factors, the BJP high command has denied going for cabinet expansion for now.

CM Yediyurappa, who had been to Delhi on Thursday had met PM Modi on Friday and had discussed cabinet expansion matter with him. On the night of Friday, Yediyurappa had met BJP national president J P Nadda according to the instructions of PM Modi.

When Yediyurappa felt that Nadda was not going to give the go-ahead for reshuffling of the cabinet, he presented the list of five probable ministerial candidates including R Shankar and M T B Nagaraj and requested to give permission for at least expansion of the cabinet. Sources said that Nadda had promised Yediyurappa to discuss the same with PM Modi and convey the outcome to him.

Yediyurappa had also met his close aide and union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday and requested him to mediate in the reshuffling and expansion of the cabinet. Later he met PM Modi as well as Nadda. But it seems that none of the efforts worked.

It is also said that Yediyurappa was not invited by the BJP high command to Delhi as the parliament session is in progress. While the union ministers were busy in parliament session, other senior leaders were held up in work related to Bihar assembly elections. Amit Shah's illness also made the high command to postpone the request of CM Yediyurappa.

Speaking to the scribes on Saturday, Yediyurappa said, "My intention is to expand the cabinet before the beginning of state assembly session. I have met PM Modi and BJP national president and discussed the same. There is a possibility that I will get instructions soon."

Yediyurappa met vice president Venkaiah Naidu in Delhi on the morning of Saturday and returned to Bengaluru on a special flight after holding a brief discussion with him. Speaking to reporters, Yediyurappa said, "I presume that my Delhi visit this time around is extremely successful. I have met seven ministers including PM Modi and have kept demands in front of them for the development of Karnataka. PM Modi has assured that he will take suitable decision and instruct the concerned to give attention to my demands."