BS Yediyurappa expands Karnataka Cabinet

Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister, BS Yediyurappa expanded his cabinet on Thursday, to include 13 new ministers. After considerable dilly-dallying, 10 rebel MLAs from the Congress and JD (S)have now become Cabinet ministers.

The Karnataka cabinet earlier had 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister, while the sanctioned strength of the state cabinet is 34. There were 16 vacant berths and the BJP high command gave the Karnataka chief minister its nod to fill up at least 13 of them by inducting 10 rebels and 3 BJP MLAs.Media reports suggest that discontent is brewing in the party ranks over the exclusion of many legislators.

Yediyurappahad announced on Sunday that 13 BJP legislators, including the 10 MLAs who defected from the Congress and the JD(S), would take oath on Thursday. Expectedly, the swearing-in ceremony took place this morning. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by the Karnataka Governor, VajubhaiVala.

The BJP central leadership had to intervene to assuage the feelings of many rebel MLAs before it gave its approval to the cabinet expansion. Athani BJP MLA Mahesh Kumathalliwas excluded in the cabinet expansion today but is reported to have taken the chief minister's decision in his stride. He reportedly told the media that he would not embarrass his party over denial of a cabinet berth. Kumathalli indicated that he would meet CMYediyurappa and enquire about out the reasons for his missing out on a ministerial berth.