Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai to meet PM Modi, Amit Shah, senior BJP leaders in Delhi on Friday

Karnataka Chief Minister Basaravaj Bommai said he would go to Delhi on Friday to meet the high command and senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“I will visit Delhi tomorrow (Friday) to get the blessings of the PM (Narendra Modi), Home Minister (Amit Shah), Rajnath Singh and J P Nadda. Within two-three days after that, I will meet them again after taking their appointment. We will discuss cabinet formation after which ministers will be picked,” he said in Hubballi on Thursday.

Responding to questions on former CM Jagadish Shettar stating he would choose not to be part of the Bommai-led cabinet, even as several leaders from the ruling party continue to lobby for plum positions, the CM said he will speak to Shettar personally. “We have been friends ever since joining politics and have maintained a cordial relationship even when we were in different parties. I will convey this to higher-ups in the party and the issue will be resolved,” Bommai said.

A day earlier, Shettar had announced he would like to opt out of the ministerial race. “Yediyurappa is our tallest leader under whom all of us grew in politics. I had worked as a minister under him earlier as well and hence had no issues becoming a minister in his cabinet. However, Bommai has worked in my cabinet as a minister earlier and it would not be nice for me to work now in his cabinet. Hence, I have opted out,” the 65-year-old had said in Bengaluru. Shettar was the industries and commerce Minister in the previous Yediyurappa-led cabinet.

In first visit to #HubballiDharwad as #Karnataka CM, @BSBommai pays tribute to late parents at memorial in Amargol. The CM will travel by road to assess damages in flood-hit areas of #UttaraKannada. @IndianExpress

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— Express Bengaluru (@IEBengaluru) July 29, 2021

Meanwhile, in his first trip outside Bengaluru as the CM, Bommai visited the graves of his father S R Bommai, former chief minister, and mother Gangamma in Hubballi-Dharwad to pay tribute to them. The memorials are located at Amargol in the middle of the twin cities. Bommai also visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office ‘Keshav Kunj’ located in the city.

Further, Bommai stated that he would make “honest efforts” to develop infrastructure and industries in the twin cities, by taking recommendations from Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Shettar among others.

Later, Bommai is scheduled to visit flood-affected areas in the state in Yellapur, Karwar, and Ankola located in Uttara Kannada district. He will assess the damages caused by floods that followed incessant rains during the last fortnight and inspect steps taken by the authorities after meeting MLAs and top officials during the day.