CM set to expand ministry

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is likely to expand his ministry on November 3 to fill up four of the six vacant ministerial berths, party sources said today.

The move to expand ministry is seen as an effort to placate some of the ministerial aspirants, who had earlier threatened to join the ranks of rebels. Sources said, BJP’s Core Committee, which met after the state high court upheld disqualification of the 11 rebel MLAs, has given the nod to the Chief Minister to undertake the expansion exercise.

The ministry expansion is likely to take place either on November 3 or 5, the sources said.

The party sources said that Yeddyurappa’s plan to keep two berths vacant to check possible dissidence in the aftermath of ministry expansion has been accepted by the party.

HC full bench to hear MLAs’ disqualification case

The full bench of the Karnataka High Court will hear on November 2 petitions filed by the five independent MLAs challenging their disqualification from the assembly membership.

A three-judge bench, comprising Justice Mohan Shanthanagouder, Justice Abdul Nazir and Justice A S Bopanna, will hear the petition. A division bench while delivering the split verdict on October 18 on petitions filed by the 11 BJP rebel MLAs challenging their disqualification, had stated that the petitions filed by the five independent MLAs would be heard by a division bench on November 2.

Justice V G Sabhahit, third judge of the High Court, had yesterday upheld the disqualification of 11 BJP rebel MLAs by speaker K G Bopaiah on October 10 after the matter was referred to him following the split verdict on the Speaker’s action.