Bangalore: Yeddy Cabinet Reshuffle in April?

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 22: Is Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is set complete two years of BJP rule in the state, planning a major overhaul of his cabinet?

If the grapevine within the state’s ruling party circles is any indication, the chief minister might go in for a reshuffle of his cabinet sometime in April to tone up his Government’s image by infusing some fresh blood and drop some of the inefficient deadwoods.

The chief minister as also the newly installed state BJP president K S Eshwarappa have been dropping sufficient hints at different occasions that the Boards and Corporations would be completely reconstituted to ensure that a proper and wider representation is given to all regions and different castes and communities.

Eshwarappa has even publicly stated that all those appointed as Chairmen of Boards and Corporations would be asked to put in their papers shortly so as to facilitate fresh appointments.

The state party chief released the list of state office-bearers like vice-presidents, general secretaries, secretaries, treasurer and spokesman. Names of remaining office-bearers would be announced  in the ``next two to three days’’ as part of the exercise to revamp the organization and infuse some dynamism, especially in view of the series of elections from grama panchayat to zilla panchayat levels and also the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike elections due to be held this year.

Eshwarappa said the state party unit would be meeting on February 25 to chalk out plans to protest the recommendation of the Ranganath Mishra Commission on reservation for minorities. 

Several ministers, Members of Parliament, legislators besides state and district officer-bearers of the party would attend the meeting, he said pointing out that Dalits and Backward Classes would not tolerate any dilution of the reservations.

The Ranganath Mishra Commission’s recommendation was a matter of ``grave injustice’’ to the deprived sections and would even amount to religious conversions, he said.

The state BJP president said the February 25 meeting would also discuss the party’s preparations for grama panchayat elections expected in April. 

BJP would be appointing an election in-charge for each grama panchayat while the party office-bearers and ministers would be in-charge of various districts for the elections. ``We will prove our party’s strength at the grassroots level,’’ he said.

To questions on the state cabinet’s decision on allowing mining in some reserved forests, he declared: ``Mining would not be allowed if it hurts and harms environment.”