Karnataka CM Yediyurappa on Thursday expanded his six-month-old Cabinet with the induction of ten Ministers. The ministers were sworn-in at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan with the Governor Vajubhai Vala administering oath of office and secrecy.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka would expand the ministry on February 6 by inducting 13 more ministers, said Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, here on Sunday.
Following a verbal spat with the seer of 'Panchamasali Guru Peetha', Vachanananda Swamiji, who was recommending to appoint BJP leader as minister from the community threatening if it is not done then the Lingayat community will leave Yediyurappa, the Karnataka CM said he was ready to quit the CM post but cannot be threatened like this.
It seems that a section of the Congress camp in Maharashtra is upset with the cabinet expansion of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. A senior leader of the Congress party hoped that the party brass takes note of the feeling that loyalists are being ignored at a time when they deserved an opportunity.
35 MLAs were inducted in Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra on Monday. Ajit Pawar has been once again made deputy chief minister while Aaditya Thackeray also took as minister for the first time.
The Shiv Sena last month joined hands with the Congress and NCP, its traditional adversaries, after its alliance with the BJP collapsed over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post. As per the power-sharing formula decided by the three MVA allies, the Sena will get 15 ministerial berths, excluding the CM's post, the NCP will also get 15 and the Congress 12.
Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari will administer the oath to the new team around noon in the Maharashtra Legislature precinct. The total strength of the ministry of Maharashtra cabinet can be maximum 42 including the Chief Minister.
The 11 portfolios allocated to Chautala include the excise and taxation, development and panchayats, industries and commerce, and food and civil supplies departments, the order said
The BJP won 40 seats and was six short of a majority in the 90-member Assembly. Besides the 10 JJP legislators, seven independent MLAs have also extended support to the BJP, helping it reach a tally of 57 seats. The Congress won 31 seats, improving its tally from 19 in 2014.
Earlier, the cabinet expansion was expected on Tuesday, but Maharashtra imbroglio was one of the factor that delayed the induction of ministers, sources said. On being asked whether two more MLAs from the JJP will get the cabinet berth, Chautala said, "This is an internal matter of our party."
Nitish Kumar expands Cabinet by inducting eight Ministers, no space for ally BJP
Members of allies, the BJP and LJP, were left out from the cabinet expansion.
A Indrakaran Reddy, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, G Jagadish Reddy and Etela Rajender, who were part of the cabinet in Rao’s previous term, returned as ministers.
The resolution was passed with voice vote, even as the BJP legislators staged a walkout from the assembly opposing it.
While the state Congress leaders hailed the Cabinet expansion for giving representation to leaders from all sections and regions, the opposition BJP said it showed "differences" within the ruling party.
State Congress Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara had recently said the cabinet expansion would take place within this month.
As per the coalition agreement on June 1, Congress was allocated 22 ministerial berths and 12 to JD(S), among which nine MLA's will be inducted in the first phase of cabinet expansion
While the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) will keep the Finance portfolio, the Congress will get Home among other departments.
In the third major reshuffle ahead of the 2019 General elections, the Narendra Modi government on Sunday inducted nine new faces in the Union Cabinet, while elevating four ministers to Cabinet ranks
Top News
Latest News
