BENGALURU: After inducting seven ministers into the cabinet, chief minister BS Yediyurappa was expected to be in full control of his 17-month-old government as it spiked long-standing speculation about leadership change.
However, the 78-year old chief minister continues to fight discontentment within the party, either over not getting cabinet berths or plum portfolios.
There’s no clarity if Monday’s reshuffle will be the last or more changes are likely. The fourth change on Monday to mollify Sudhakar and Madhuswamy has miffed others, including Anand Singh who has been given charge of infrastructure development and Haj and wakf. He said he wasn’t disappointed but added that shifting from a bigger portfolio to smaller one would create doubt in the minds of people about his ability. “I haven’t aspired for a ministerial berth. I’ve requested the CM to allow me to continue as an MLA. He asked me to meet him on Wednesday,” he said,
Yediyurappa’s troubles will be aggravated in the near future as water resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi said Mahesh Kumathalli, among 16 MLAs who helped BJP come to power, will become minister after March. Apart from Kumathalli, the CM must induct N Munirathna and Pratapagouda Patil (if he wins from Maski). “Since there is only one vacancy, the CM has to drop one minister to accommodate both and this could lead to another crisis,” party sources said.
Reports earlier suggested both are contemplating resigning as ministers and may decide after Republic Day celebrations on Tuesday even as efforts are on to pacify them.
Yediyurappa hadn’t consulted his ministers before going ahead with the reshuffle. However, his loyalists downplayed the discord and said this is the last change. According to them, only Madhuswamy and Anand Singh were upset and while Madhuswamy got what he aspired for, Singh has agreed to wait for the next reshuffle.