Katti inducted into Karnataka Ministry

Former Minister Umesh Katti, who recently resigned from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly as JD (S) member, was inducted into the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP Ministry in the State.

Governor Rameshwar Thakur administered the oath of office and secrecy to Katti at a simple function held at Raj Bhavan in Bangalore yesterday evening. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and senior BJP Ministers were present on the occasion.

Katti’s induction will be fill up the vacancy in the Ministry arising out of the resignation of Horticulture Minister S K Bellubi.

Katti was the fourth defector from opposition parties, who was accommodated in the BJP Ministry. Out of the seven MLAs from Congress and JD (S), who joined the BJP after resigning from their membership of the Legislative Assembly, three have already been rewarded with Ministerial berths.

The Ministers, who had quit their assembly seats, will be contesting in the coming by-polls as BJP candidates.

It may be mentioned here that the BJP, which had 110 seats in the 224 member house, came to power with the support of six independents, five of whom had been made Ministers.

But, with a view to strengthening its position in the Assembly, the BJP has successfully lured seven MLAs from the opposition parties, much to the consternation of the Congress and JD (S) leaders.

Senior Congress leader H K Patil had sent a three-page letter to Governor Rameshwar Thakur urging him not to administer the oath of office to the defectors as it violated the democratic spirit of the Constitution.