Cabinet expansion likely next month: Yediyurappa

long-delayed cabinet expansion in Karnataka might take place next month, with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa indicating on Sunday that it may take place in mid-January, around "Makara Sankranti."

" high command has asked me to come after a week. Maybe by end of this month, we will finalise list (cabinet expansion)," he told reporters after oath-taking ceremony of 13 of 15 newly elected MLAs at Vidhana Soudha, state secretariat. Asked wher news of cabinet expansion would come in Sankranti, he said: "maybe by that time."

Chief Minister said he needed time to carry out rejig and expansion as he has to leave for Delhi and hold discussions with party high command. To a question on cabinet berths to newly elected BJP MLAs, Yediyurappa said, "re are differences of opinion on this issue with party leers in Delhi.

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We h promised newly elected MLAs that we will make m ministers, which we will fulfill. re is doubt about it.
 Those who took oath as MLAs on Sunday were Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani constituency), Srimant Patil (Kagw), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur), B C Patil (Hirekerur), Arun Kumar Pujar (Rane Bennur), Anand Singh (Vijayanagar), Dr K Sudhakar (Chikkaballapur), Byrathi Basavaraj (KR Puram), S T Somashekhar (Yashwanthapur), K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout), Sharath Bachegowda (Hoskote), M C Narayana Gowda (KR Pet).

RE: Cabinet expansion likely in January, hints Yediyurappa

Two Congress MLAs Rizwan Arsh (Shivajinagar) and P Manjunath (Hunsur) did t take oath on Sunday. Of 13 disqualified MLAs fielded by BJP, 11 won December 5 bypolls while two ors M T B Nagaraj and A H Vishwanath lost election.

cabinet expansion would t be an easy task as Yediyurappa would have to strike a balance by accommodating victorious disqualified legislators as he h promised and also make place for old guards, upset at being "neglected" in first round of induction exercise. He also has to give equate representation to various castes and regions in his cabinet, that currently has 18 ministers, including Chief Minister, and sanctioned strength is 34. Though Yediyurappa h me it clear that 11 disqualified MLAs who successfully contested bypolls on party tickets would be me Ministers, Nagaraj and Vishwanath are lobbying hard to get ministerial berths, said BJP sources.

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