Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the expansion of his cabinet will take place this afternoon. He said that he had detailed discussions with high command regarding the cabinet, yesterday and the day before.
"Most probably by 11 am you will get an official list (of new Ministers) from the Raj Bhavan, you in the media are running some names, but you will get an official list mostly by 11-11:30 am," Bommai said on his arrival from Delhi. Speaking to reporters at the airport here, he said the new cabinet Ministers will be sworn-in at 2:15 pm.
Bommai, who was elected as the new leader of the BJP legislature party last week, following Yediyurappa's resignation, had taken oath as the Chief Minister on July 28. After taking oath as the Chief Minister Bommai visited Delhi twice.
Hectic parleys were on between Bommai and central leaders in Delhi during the last couple of days, to finalise the cabinet expansion.
Meanwhile, ministerial aspirants also had continued lobbying to secure a berth in the new cabinet. Expanding the Ministry is seen as the first big challenge before the new Chief Minister, as he will have to navigate through the cabinet formation exercise by maintaining balance between factions within the ruling BJP.
There are several aspirants among the party "old guards" and "youngsters", also there are legislators who had joined BJP after quitting Congress-JD(S) coalition in 2019.
Party sources had previously said that Bommai’s efforts to expand the cabinet at the earliest in view of the flood situation and the threat of a third Covid wave have hit a hurdle due to wrangling over ministerial berths. Bommai’s plan to induct 15-20 ministers was shelved after his predecessor, BS Yediyurappa, demanded that his son BY Vijayendra be made deputy CM, and that all migrant MLAs from Congress and JD(S), who helped him to form the government in 2019, be inducted.
