New Karnataka Cabinet ministers to take oath tomorrow: BS Yediyurappa

The long-awaited expansion of the Karnataka cabinet will take place on Wednesday at 4 pm, with the induction of seven ministers, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Tuesday.

“Seven new ministers will be inducted into the cabinet and the new list of ministers will be announced at 4 pm on Wednesday,” Yediyurappa said.

On Sunday, Yediyurappa met BJP National President JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party general secretary in-charge for the state Arun Singh to discuss the cabinet expansion and the upcoming bypolls to the Basavakalyana and Maski Assembly seats and the Belagavi Parliamentary seat.

The state, which can have a total of 34 ministers, has 27 now. Besides members representing different factions and the old guard in the party, the Chief Minister also has to accommodate some of those who entered the Assembly through recent bypolls.

Sources said among the aspirants include BJP MLCs A H Vishwanath, R Shankar and M T B Nagaraj, whose resignation as MLAs in the previous Cong-JD(S) combine brought the government down and paved the way for the BJP coming to power. As many as 11 out of the 17 Congress and JDS rebels have already been inducted in the cabinet.

The new ministers are expected to take oath at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday ahead of Makara Sankranti festival.