Amit Shah hails COVID vaccine rollout; ex-BJP chief in Karnataka to discuss cabinet rejig

Hailing India's vaccine rollout, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that 'India has reached its last st in COVID-19' while addressing an event at Bhadravati. Shah is currently on a 2-day visit to Karnataka and laid foundation stone laying ceremony of Rapid Action Force centre in Bhadravathi. Shah is also set to attend BJP core committee meeting to discuss cabinet reshuffling amid growing discontent with Yediyurappa's recent cabinet expansion.

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Karnataka cabinet trouble

After waiting for a year, Karnataka CM Yediyurappa inducted even legislators namely - MTB Nagaraj, R Shankar, CP Yogeshwar, Umesh Katti, Arvind Limbavali, Murugesh Nirani, S Angara into his cabinet on January 13. With inclusion of several Congress and JDS rebels who jumped ship to BJP, resulting in fall of previous Kumaraswamy government, in cabinet, several BJP loyalists are said to be disgruntled. Reports state that Shah is set to meet disgruntled MLAs and listen to ir grievances before attending BJP core committee meeting in Bengaluru.

Karnataka CM Yediyurappa hints at cabinet reshuffle again amid growing resentment in BJP

Senior BJP leader Basanagouda R Patil alleged that only those who blackmailed CM "with a CD" were inducted were given cabinet berths. Many or leaders including Mysore MLA Ramadoss, chief whip in Karnataka Assembly Sunil Kumar Karkala, Ron MLA Kalakappa Bandi, and MLA from Belgaum (South) Abhay Patil openly expressed ir grievances against cabinet rejig - leading to CM saying that a BJP core committee is working on distribution of portfolios again and a decision will also be made on who should be included in cabinet. Shah is set to meet CM and chair a core committee meeting to discuss candidates and strategies for Bengaluru polls and allocation of portfolios.

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India kicks off COVID vaccination

Meanwhile, Manish Kumar, a sanitation worker in Delhi, became first person to receive COVID-19 vaccine in India after PM Modi flagged off nationwide vaccination drive on Saturday, in presence of Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at AIIMS Delhi. PM Modi launched nationwide vaccine drive on Saturday via videoconferencing and congratulated people of India on getting two 'Made in India' vaccines. With a limit of 100 beneficiaries per centre, vaccination drive is underway in  3006 locations, iculating 3 lakh health workers in 'world's biggest vaccine programme'.   government has already purchased 1.1 crore COVISHIELD vaccine doses and 55 lakh COVAXIN vaccine shots - aiming to vaccinate 3 crore frontline warriors, in first phase.