Bengaluru: Now that the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar and Sir Assembly bypolls are over, where the BJP won with a huge margin, many BJP leaders who recently moved over from the Congress and JD(S) parties have started to lobby for Cabinet berths.
According to a senior BJP leader, the Karnataka Cabinet is likely to be expanded by November 15, but Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is not okay with a reshuffle, TNM reported. However, the party’s national leadership is also considering a reshuffle of the Cabinet.
It can be recalled that during the RR Nagar bypoll campaign, BSY had said that candidate Munirathna Naidu would be made a minister if he won the election. He also said that after the results are announced, he would speak with the party high command regarding the same.
According to the TNM report, Yediyurappa has been hesitant to reshuffle the Cabinet as he feared a backlash and an uptick in clashes within the party. The BJP leader, TNM reported, added that many party leaders would rebel, especially owing to the speculation that there will be a change in the Chief Minister next year.
It can be recalled that BSY had promised Cabinet berths to the Congress and JD(S) MLAs who defected from their respective parties to join the BJP, effectively bringing down the coalition government in 2019.
As it stands, six of the 33 posts in the Cabinet are vacant and after CM BSY accepts C T Ravi’s resignation, there will be one more vacancy. It can be recalled that recently, Ravi’s resignation from his post of Tourism and Kannada and Culture Minister was accepted by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala.
Most recently, B Sriramulu was replaced by Dr K Sudhakar as health minister. Sriramulu, according to sources, is hoping to be made Deputy Chief Minister in the event that the party high command removes the incumbent members.
Meanwhile, the dates for the Maski and Basavakalyan bypolls are yet to be announced.
