Karnataka: Defector MLAs inducted in Yediyurappa’s cabinet, loyalists kept out

Karnataka: Defector MLAs inducted in Yediyurappa’s cabinet, loyalists kept out

In total 13 lawmakers had withdrawn their support to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy last July, causing it to collapse.

Shankar RajUpdated: Thursday, February 06, 2020, 09:16 PM IST
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MLAs Gopalaiah, S T Somashekar and Byrati Basavraj with BJP leader and son of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, B Y Vijayendra greet each other after a sworn-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Thursday. | ANI

Bengaluru: In a move that will trigger a political quake in the days ahead from BJP loyalists and old-timers, the Karnataka Chief Minister on Thursday expanded his six-month old cabinet inducting 10 Congress and JD(S) rebels who had helped him assume power through defections.

In total 13 lawmakers had withdrawn their support to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy last July, causing it to collapse. They then had to give up their MLA posts, crossed over to the BJP and contested by-elections on BJP tickets. All 13 were given BJP tickets to contest bypolls but only 11 of them won.

Of the winners, only Mahesh Kumathalli was left out of the current expansion.

The Chief Minister said, "It will be difficult to take in Mahesh Kumathalli, but we will give him some important responsibility." Kumathalli himself has said he would not embarrass the BJP but that he did have questions over his omission.

The MLAs had crossed over after Yediyurappa had promised them ministerial berths, if he were to come to power. Today, he kept up his promise. The Chief Minister had earlier acknowledged that the BJP was in power in the state because of these MLAs.

It wasn't an easy task for Yediyurappa as party loyalists and old-timers made his job tough. The CM had to shuttle several times to Delhi to get an approval from Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda.

Despite denials, resentment is indeed brewing in the BJP from loyalists who were keen to get a cabinet berth.

After crossing the first hurdle, the Chief Minister will once shuttle to Delhi to consult his party’s national leaders about portfolio allotment. He will also put up names for the remaining vacant slots in the cabinet.

There are six cabinet berths to be filled in. Karnataka can have a maximum of 34 ministers, including the CM. Yediyurappa had inducted 18 ministers in the first spell and with today’s expansion, the number goes to 28.

The CM had suggested the names of four BJP loyalists to be included in the current expansion, but the proposal was shot down by the party high command.

The cabinet expansion was a simple affair conducted on the lawns of the Raj Bhavan. Governor Vajubhai Valla administered the oath of office.

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