After months of speculation and postponement, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa inducted seven new faces into the Karnataka Cabinet on Wednesday, amid discontent among a section of party legislators.
Three MLCs — N. Nagaraju (MTB) and R. Shankar, both defectors, and C.P. Yogeshwar, who played a key role in toppling the coalition government — and four senior MLAs — Umesh Katti, Arvind Limbavali, S. Angara, and Murugesh Nirani — were sworn in as Ministers at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday afternoon.
Minister H. Nagesh, Independent MLA, was dropped to keep one slot vacant, for political exigencies. An upset Mr. Nagesh, who resigned from the Cabinet, was pacified and appointed as chairperson of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Development Corporation, as per his request with a Cabinet Minister rank, later in the day.
Notable exclusion from those inducted into the Cabinet is Munirathna, a defector who recently won the bypoll. Mr. Yediyurappa had announced during the bypoll campaign that Mr. Munirathna would be made a Minister. A case against him alleging voter fraud and over-representation of Bengaluru in the Cabinet forced his exclusion, sources said.
The Cabinet expansion has led to discontent among a long list of ministerial aspirants. A group of those unhappy with the outcome are expected to meet and air their grievances with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, when he visits the State on January 16-17.
In terms of caste equation, of those inducted on Wednesday, two each are from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, Kuruba, and Scheduled Caste communities and one is from Vokkaliga community. With these inductions, the Cabinet now has 11 Lingayats, seven Vokkaligas, four Kurubas, three from Scheduled Castes, and two from Scheduled Tribes, a composition that has drawn flak over domination of Lingayats and Vokkaligas. With seven Ministers from Bengaluru and five from Belagavi district and nearly 15 districts finding no representation in the Cabinet, there is also criticism of regional imbalance.
Controversial inclusion
Though the induction of Mr. Yogeshwar, who got defeated in the 2018 polls and was later made an MLC, has turned controversial, he is seen as a key leader to counter Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy in Ramanagaram district.
Mr. Nirani was reportedly inducted to co-opt the growing assertion of Panchamasali Lingayat sect, sources said. Mr. Angara, a six-time MLA, being made a Minister was a long-pending demand from the party old-timers.
Mr. Katti and Mr. Limbavali were all set to be made Ministers in February 2020 and dropped in the last minute, providing them with a strong case now.