Yeddyurappa expands Ministry

A day after winning the trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa yesterday expanded his Ministry by inducting former Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu in his Cabinet.

Governor Rameshwar Thakur administered the oath of office and secrecy to Naidu at a simple ceremony in Raj Bhavan attended by senior BJP Ministers and other dignitaries.

The induction of Naidu takes the strength of Yeddyurappa-led Ministry to 31, which still leaves room for three more Ministers as the constitutional ceiling for Karnataka has been fixed at 34, including the Chief Minister.

Already, a total of 29 Ministers had been sworn into the Ministry when Yeddyurappa assumed office as Chief Minister on May 30. Naidu, who had served as Minister for Major Industries in the previous JD (S)-BJP coalition, could not be administered the oath of office on May 30 as he was unwell.

A large number of Naidu’s supporters gathered outside Raj Bhavan and celebrated his induction into the BJP Ministry on Saturday evening by bursting crackers and dancing to the beating of drums.

Speaking to reporters after being sworn in as a Minister, Naidu, who is considered to be Yeddyurappa’s trusted lieutenant, said he would discharge whatever responsibility entrusted to him by the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, lobbying continued for the three ministerial berths kept vacant with several aspirants including four-time MLAs H S Shankarlinge Gowda from Mysore and A Narayanaswamy from Anekal on the outskirts of Bangalore pressing for their accommodation in the Ministry.

However, BJP leaders ruled out the possibility of the next expansion until the Budget session of the Karnataka Legislature, which is scheduled to begin on June 23, ends on July 10.

Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa is expected to allocate portfolios to his Ministers after securing a clearance from the party’s national leadership. Though he has prepared a preliminary list in consultation with the senior leaders of the party’s state unit, a final decision will be taken after party’s central leader Arun Jaitley arrives in Bangalore.
BJP spokesperson and Minister Suresh Kumar said Jaitley is scheduled to arrive in Bangalore later on Saturday to finalise the list of portfolios to be allocated to the 31-member Ministry.