Yediyurappa's Delhi visit for cabinet expansion likely this week

Karnataka Chief Minister B S

Yediyurappa is planning a visit to Delhi this week to get the party high command's nod for the cabinet expansion and reshuffle, sources close to him said on Sunday.

Yediyurappa's Delhi visit, which is in the offing for quite some time, may happen on Wednesday, the sources added.

He had told reporters that the cabinet expansion and reshuffle would be taken up soon after the by-elections to Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Sira Assembly constituencies.

With cabinet expansion on cards, hectic political activities and lobbying within the BJP circle have started for ministerial positions.

Recently, a few BJP MLAs met at the residence of Irrigation Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi giving rise to speculation that it pertained to those who were aspiring for ministerial berths.

Among those who attended the meeting were Chitradurga MLA G H Thippa Reddy and Poornima Srinivas, who expressed their desire to find a place in the state cabinet.

Besides them, eight-time MLA Umesh Katti and Honnali MLA M P Renukacharya have expressed their desire to secure the coveted posts.

While Umesh Katti said in Hukkeri on Saturday that he would be inducted in the cabinet, Renukacharya recently called on the Chief Minister and reportedly asked him to consider his name whenever cabinet expansion took place.

Besides them, Members of Legislative Council M T B Nagaraj, A H Vishwanath and R Shankar, who had rebelled against their parties, resigned from the assembly and joined the BJP are also aspiring for slots.

The Chief Minister has already made it clear that he would induct Munirathna in the cabinet once he won the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly bye-election.

Now that Munirathna has registered a thumping victory in the bypoll, his induction in the cabinet is certain.

The Karnataka cabinet comprises 27 ministers including the Chief Minister while there are seven vacancies.

The Chief Minister had hinted that the next change in the cabinet will not just be a cabinet expansion but also a major reshuffle of portfolios.

To pave way for the change, the Chief Minister last week forwarded Tourism Minister C T Ravi's resignation to the Governor, which was accepted.