BENGALURU: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa is scheduled to travel to New Delhi on Wednesday to seek permission from the BJP brass to expand or rejig his cabinet.
Yediyurappa has convened a cabinet meeting reportedly to inform those ministers who will be dropped and allow them to clear pending files. This has led to speculation that Yediyurappa has got the nod for cabinet expansion or reshuffle and is meeting party seniors to discuss only the names.
“The cabinet meeting usually happens once every fortnight or three weeks. But Wednesday’s meeting is happening in less than a week’s time. We have reason to believe the cabinet expansion will happen this time,’’ said a senior MLA and aspirant for a berth.
Yediyurappa will leave for New Delhi by a special flight at 11.30am Wednesday. The cabinet meeting is scheduled at 10.30am. Though the official itinerary doesn’t mention meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union home minister Amit Shah, official sources say he may meet BJP leaders, including national party president JP Nadda and discuss the cabinet expansion.
The exercise could be a tightrope walk for Yediyurappa, considering there are many aspirants.
Sources said he plans to drop a few ministers and this may include mines and geology minister CC Patil, women and child development minister Shashikala Jolle, animal husbandry minister Prabhu Chavan and muzrai minister Kota Shrinivas Poojary.
While several old guard like eight-time MLA Umesh Katti are waiting to be inducted, Congress-JD(S) rebels like AH Vishwanath, R Shankar and MTB Nagaraj, who helped BJP come to power and are now party MLCs, are also aspiring for slots. Yediyurappa will also have to keep space for Munirathna, as he had promised him a cabinet berth if he wins the Rajarajeshwari Nagar seat in the bypoll.
There’s some discontent gripping the MLAs and Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLA MP Renukacharya hinted at it. “We should be thankful to 17 MLAs who helped BJP form the government. At the same time, we should not forget the BJP’s 105 MLAs won and that was crucial for government formation,” Gowda had said last week. The cabinet currently has 27 members, and seven berths are vacant.