Focus on flood relief, take up cabinet expansion later, Shah

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa who was scheduled to finalise Cabinet formation with the BJP central leadership, cut short his visit to New Delhi after the party chief Amit Shah told him to focus his attention on flood relief and rehabilitation in the State.

Parts of the state are reeling under floods and torrential rains.

"Today I was supposed to meet the President of India at 5 pm but Amit Shah directed me not to bother about the cabinet expansion, and visit some flood affected areas like Belagavi and four-five other districts," Yediyurappa told reporters after reaching Bengaluru Wednesday.

He was on a two-day visit to the national capital.

On Tuesday, he met several Union Ministers pursuing State issues pending before the Centre.

He was to meet Shah Wednesday.

Yediyurappa was sworn-in Chief Minister on July 26.

He is the only minister in his Council of Ministers.

The chief minister said the officers were alert and the minister of state for Railways Suresh Angadi, who is a Lok Sabha member from Belgaum constituency, would reach Belagavi shortly while MLAs of the flood-hit areas have camped in their respective districts.

Regarding cabinet expansion, Yediyurappa said he would go to Delhi again to get the approval of the party's central leadership.

"In three to four days I will go to Delhi again to discuss and finalise the cabinet expansion. After returning from there we will expand our cabinet," Yediyurappa said.

The chief minister insisted that Amit Shah had directed him that his first priority should be relief and rehabilitation works in the flood-affected areas.

The delay in Cabinet expansion has given ammunition to the opposition Congress and JDS to target Yediyurappa.

The chief minister later left for Belagavi to take stock of the flood situation.