Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 12: It is learnt that the national leadership of the BJP has applied brakes on the initiative being undertaken to expand the cabinet by swearing in newly elected legislators during this week, by asking the chief minister to wait for two weeks. As the BJP leaders are busy with Jharkhand assembly election, chief minister B S Yediyurappa, has been told to come to New Delhi to discuss the issue of ministry expansion only after December 23, it is learnt.

Initially, there was talk of swearing in new ministers immediately, but the leaders had asked Yediyurappa to wait till Thursday. Yediyurappa had planned to go to New Delhi on Thursday but he perhaps will have to cancel this plan as he has been asked to wait.

B S Yediyurappa

Currently there are 16 vacancies in the ministry. There is compulsion to accommodate 11 disqualified legislators who got elected in the bypoll, Shankar, who has been assured of MLC seat, as well as Muniratna and Pratap Gowda Patil, who are waiting to get elected, will have to be accommodated in the ministry as per the promise made by the chief minister. The elected legislators have urged Yediyurappa to elevate Vishwanath and MTB Nagaraj, who have been defeated, also as ministers. It is also being said that the ministry expansion was put off as the national BJP leaders were not interested in giving ministerial positions to MTB Nagaraj and Vishwanath, who were defeated.

As there are about 20 aspirants for the ministry, there was talk of reshuffle but the chief minister has decided against undertaking this exercise, sources claim. While the original BJP leaders who are waiting in the wings are seeking departments that are powerful, they will get only the additional departments currently handled by some ministers, it is gathered.

It is said that Ramesh Jarkiholi was insistent on being made deputy chief minister but the leaders do not want to uphold this request. There is also information that the high command is planning to remove the posts of the current deputy chief ministers by changing their designations as just ministers.

Standing ovation by Modi

At the weekly parliamentary party meeting held at New Delhi on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, profusely hailed B S Yediyurappa for the bypoll result. He along with other MPs, stood up in honour of Yediyurappa and clapped for him. The Prime Minister also congratulated Karnataka minsters, MPs and party workers who have worked together for the bypoll success. The PM noted that the BJP had never in the past won Chikkaballapur and K R Pet seats.

Parliamentary affairs minister Prahlad Joshi, who gave this information, said that Modi also exuded confidence that Karnataka will henceforth move on fast track of development as it has a stable government now.