Karnataka CM says BJP top brass to take call on Cabinet expansion

Amid the demands for the Cabinet expansion ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections next year, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that a meeting on the matter will be held in New Delhi in which the party high command will take the decision.

Speaking to the reporters, Bommai said, "The BJP president JP Nadda has stated that a meeting will be held in Delhi. The party high command will take a call on Cabinet expansion or reshuffle."

Earlier on Sunday, during his two-day visit to the state, Nadda held a meeting with the state core committee of the party in the presence of the Chief Minister and discussed organisational issues.

Recently, Bommai during his two-day visit to the national capital had met the party's top brass, including the national president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The cabinet expansion of the eight-month-old government has been stated to have been the top agenda during the meeting.

Upon his return from New Delhi, the Chief Minister had termed his visit "successful".

Notably, Bommai, who also belongs to the politically influential Lingayat community, was sworn in as the Chief Minister on July 28 last year after his predecessor BS Yediyurappa stepped down from the post.

Karnataka is scheduled to go to the polls next year, for which Bommai has blown the bugle in the Vijayanagar convention on Sunday.

"We will seek a positive mandate from farmers, women and weaker sections for our good governance, enforcing law and order, and nationalist agenda. We will go to the people with our performance report card," Bommai said.