Yeddyurappa to expand Ministry on Saturday

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said he would expand his fledgeling Ministry on Saturday, a day after he proves his majority on the floor of the House.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore yesterday, Yeddyurappa said he would expand his Ministry at a simple function to be held on the lawns of Raj Bhavan in Bangalore on Saturday evening.

Yeddyurappa is scheduled to face the crucial trial of strength in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday.

Yeddyurappa had inducted 29 Ministers, including five independents, when he took oath as the Chief Minister last Friday. With the constitutional ceiling on the Ministry fixed at 34 including the Chief Minister, there is scope for inclusion of four more Ministers in his Government.

Yeddyurappa said he would be inducting former Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu during the expansion of the Ministry. Naidu, who served as Minister for Major Industries during the JD (S)-BJP coalition Government, could not make it to the swearing in ceremony last Friday as he was reported to be ill.

Yeddyurappa, however, did not mention the names of any other aspirants, who would be included in the Ministry during the scheduled expansion on Saturday.

When Yeddyurappa inducted 29 Ministers into his Government last Friday, there was severe heartburn among several ministerial aspirants including four-time MLAs H S Shankarlinge Gowda from Mysore and A Narayanaswamy from Anekal on the outskirts of Bangalore.