K'taka CM likely to go in for minor reshuffle

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is mulling a minor ministry reshuffle by dropping an incumbent to accomodate a former Congress legislator, who had joined the BJP on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls.

Sources close to Yeddyurappa said the ministry might be recast on June 18 by inducting V Somanna, a former minister, who quit his assembly membership from a Bangalore constituency to join BJP.

Minister for Housing S N Krishnaiah Shetty is likely to resign to pave way for Somanna's induction, as there are no vacant berths in the Yeddyurappa ministry, which has reached the maximum constitutionally permissible minstry size of 34 for the state.

Sources said the Chief Minister also planned to effect changes in portfolios of some ministers.

Energy minister Eshwarappa and some other ministers have been sulking over Yeddyurappa's  style of functioning, which had prompted party's central leadership to send senior leader Arun Jaitley on a damage control mission here last week.

Yeddyurappa and other senior leaders, including Eswarappa, who are unhappy with the Chief Minister, had attended a meeting, convened by RSS here yesterday, where dissensions in the BJP and other issues were discussed.