Bangalore: Facing resentment among some
members of his Cabinet who fear being axed and intense
lobbying by aspirants, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa is all
set to expand his 32-month-old BJP ministry on Wednesday.
The swearing-in of new ministers has been scheduled at
9:30 am in the Raj Bhavan.
"I am expanding my ministry tomorrow. The list of those
who will be inducted will be finalised by this evening,"
Yeddyurappa, who had held a consultation with the party
central leadership in Delhi yesterday, told reporters here.
Yeddyurappa declined to answer a query on the ministers
whom he planned to drop, but state BJP president KS Eswarappa
said three from the 31-member ministry would be axed and six
inducted.
However, Eswarappa refused to divulge the names of the
members who would be dropped.
The reshuffle was preceded by high drama with a minister
threatening to commit suicide if he was removed and threat of
resignations by some MLAs aspiring for ministerial berths.
Currently, there are three vacancies in the Cabinet.
Sources close to Yeddyurappa said with discontent brewing
among ministers who feared being dropped and also among
ministerial hopefuls, he might just fill up the three slots
without tinkering with the ministry.
Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy, who was the rallying
point for dissidents last year, has opposed dropping of
independents, including Sports Minister Goolihatti Shekar or
Minister for Adult Education Shivana Gouda Naik, who quit JDS
and joined BJP in 2008.
Shekar had yesterday threatened to commit suicide if
dropped from the ministry, while Naik has said he would resign
from his Assembly membership.
Soon after his return from a US trip, Excise Minister MP
Renukacharya, who has been pressing for the induction of Belur
Gopalakrishna, held consultations with some MLAs before
meeting Yeddyurappa.
Supporters of former minister SN Krishnaiah Setty, who
had quit last year in the wake of allegations relating to sale
of Karnataka Housing Board land, organised a procession to
press for his return to the ministry.
The reshuffle exercise has triggered resentment among
several party MLAs with CT Ravi from Chikmagalur submitting
his resignation from Assembly to Eshwarappa.
Appacchu Ranjan, MLA from Madikeri district, also resorted
to a similar tactic, BJP sources said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 15:33