Bengaluru, Feb 3: A wave of dissatisfaction has hit the six-month-old BJP government against the backdrop of chief minister B S Yediyurappa's announcement to induct 13 aspirants in the second cabinet expansion on February 6.
In the first cabinet expansion, the chief minister had inducted 17 ministers on August 20, 2019.
Among the 13, ten will be those defectors from Congress and the JD(S) who were disqualified earlier and won the assembly by-election in December last year.
The rest will be the 'native BJP leaders', as deputy chief minister Govind Karjol put it.
Speculations are rife that Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali, Hukkeri MLA Umesh Katti and C P Yogeshwar, who had lost to H D Kumaraswamy from Channapatna assembly segment,would be inducted.
If Yogeshwar is included in the cabinet then he will bethe second minister after Deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi who had lost and yet made it to the cabinet.
The possible induction of Yogeshwar and Savadi, who was made deputy chief minister despite losing the assembly elections, are also a "reason" for discontent in the BJP.
Hectic activities began in the power corridor and MLAs started forming groups to impress upon the chief minister to include their members in the ministry.
While one group was from the "Kalyana Karnataka" region, the others were the defectors who will be excluded in the cabinet expansion.
A few MLAS from 'Kalyana Karnataka' region or erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region comprising six districts, met at the Legislature Home and held a meeting.
The meeting was led by Shorapur MLA Narasimha Nayak akaRaju Gouda and Honnalli MLA M P Renukacharya.
The MLAs of the Kalyana Karnataka region were unanimous that their backward region should get representation in the cabinet.
Later, Gouda met the Chief Minister and requested that their region be given adequate representation in the cabinet, which is lacking development.
Talking to reporters, Gouda said, "We had given representations to all the MPs, MLAs and the chief minister. Today also we all had a meeting and later called on the Chief Minister requesting him to make any MLA from our region a minister."
He said any imbalance in cabinet expansion will cause trouble to the MLAs from Kalyana Karnataka region.
"If you make the defeated candidates ministers then include 120 people in the cabinet," an aggrieved Gouda taunted.
Renukacharya too echoed the same sentiments.
"If you give preference to the defeated candidates then what will happen to those who won the election? Where should the winners of election go? We emphasise upon giving preference to the winners."
On the other hand, the defectors who jumped the Congress and the JD(S) ship and helped form the BJP government too had a meeting in Bengaluru, said BJP sources.
They were unanimous that not only the 11 MLAs who won theelection be made ministers but also A H Vishwanath and M T BNagaraj who had unsuccessfully contested the assembly by- polls from Hunasuru and Hoskote on a BJP ticket.
Vishwanath, who was quite vocal on Sunday for dropping his name, was mellowed down on Monday after meeting Yediyurappa.
However, his insistence for getting a cabinet berth remained intact.
"I did not make any proposal before him and will not do it in future because he (Yediyurappa) knows what has to be done,"Vishwanath told reporters after meeting the chief minister.
When he was reminded of Yediyurappa's statement that therewere legal complications in making him a minister, Vishwanath said, "This government has legal experts and the advocate general. They will speak."
Amid speculations that Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli may not get a cabinet berth in the reshuffle, the defected MLAs led by Gokak BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, had a meeting to decide their future strategy, said party sources.
Currently, there are 18 ministers, including the chief minister, in the cabinet, which has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen berths are vacant.
The cabinet expansion exercise will be a delicate task for Yediyurappa as he has to ensure adequate representation for various castes and regions.
The ministry already has eight Lingayats, including Yediyurappa; three Vokkaligas; a Brahmin; three SCs, two OBCs and one ST.
Opposition parties have been critical of the BJP and Yediyurappa over the delay in the cabinet expansion, alleging he is weak and his administration has collapsed.
Reacting to the cabinet expansion, former chief minister Siddaramaiah quipped, "A drama is taking place. Let it happen on February 6. Afterwards we will see what all happens."
Comments
I request my muslims brothers and sisters please dont vote MIM because they do nothing for minority people in hyderabad. Always both brothers polarise the vote bank politics and come into power but development is zero. Since thier late father salauddin owaisi is also playing the same role. Please elect the correct person who can do good for all communities in secular way.
But you have to understand, it is a simple ploy by BJP to break the opposition. The same happened at the centre. The same will happen in Karnataka if you divert votes. Atleast, Karnataka is away from all the dirty politics BJP plays once it comes to power. Look at what is happening in UP. You want them to come in power, choose to vote for a party which doesn't have a chance to get majority. And don't crib about it later, that a party is in power which doesn't care about Muslims. Choose your vote wisely. Nothing against Mr Owaisi, but to cast ur vote for a party which doesn't have a clear cut chance to be in power - is simply contributing towards the success of BJP's plan. Simple divide n rule!
In my opinion MIM should coordinate with local political party and avoid splitting of minority votes thereby supporting bjp. MIM should contest on its own only if its 100 percent sure to win otherwise votes given to MIM will be waste and it will benefit anti national bjp. Congress less better than bjp.
SO WHAT IF BJP COMES TO POWER IN KARNATAKA........ FOR MUSLIMS BOTH BJP AND CONGRESS ARE SAME... BOTH THEY DONT SUPPORT MUSLIMS AND THEY DONT EVEN CARE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSLIMS.... DEAR CONGRESS LEADER, JUST CHEKC YOUR LAST ELECTION MANIFESTO FOR MUSLIMS AND CHECK HOW MANY POINTS YOU HAVE COMPLETED FOR MUSLIMS.... BJP PLAYING OPENLY AND CONGRESS FROM THE BACK SIDE OF THE MUSLIMS LIFE...... NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOTH THE PARTIES........... SO MUSLIMS VOTE FOR OTHER PARTY THAN CONGRESS... CONGRESS IS JUST USING MUSLIMS AS VOTE BANK AND NO RESERVATION, NO DEVELOPMENT, NO PROTECTION, NO COMPENSATION, NO JUSTICE FOR MUSLIMS.... IF MUSLIM KILLED NO CONGRESS LEADER WILL COME FORWARD FOR JUSTICE... NOT EVEN MUSLIM LEADERS OF CONGRESS PARTY WILL COME.....
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