Bengaluru: After facing a barrage of criticism over the delay in forming his cabinet with the opposition dubbing him a ‘one-man army’ fighting the flood situation on his own, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa may finally get the nod for cabinet formation by the weekend.
The BJP veteran was sworn in as CM two weeks ago, but the process of ministry formation has been delayed due to a number of reasons including the demise of former Union minister Sushma Swaraj and the pending case in the Supreme Court pertaining to the disqualification of rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs who brought down the previous H.D. Kumaraswamy government. Many of these rebels are hoping to find a place in the new cabinet.
According to these sources, in the first phase, 15-20 ministers will be inducted. “It (ministry) will be a blend of experience and new faces and in all probability, more new faces may join the cabinet,” sources said adding that experienced leaders like K.S. Eshwarappa, C.T. Ravi, Aravind Limbavali and Suresh Kumar may find place.
Sources said that unlike in the past, Mr Yediyurappa may have a limited role.
a limited role in cabinet formation though party national president Amit Shah is sure to obtain his inputs before finalising the list.
The CM had, after meeting Mr Shah on Sunday, announced that the BJP president had invited him to Delhi on August 16 to finalise his cabinet.
Indicating the painstaking efforts going into cabinet formation, a source said Mr Shah has already obtained details of leaders of various castes and regions to make sure a perfect balance is struck. Party national organizing secretary, B.L. Santhosh who is from Karnataka, may also provide inputs added sources.
Mr B.S. Yediyurappa has selected officers of his choice for the CM's Office (CMO) but there is a buzz in bureaucratic circles that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may draft four senior officers to oversee governance in the Karnataka which the BJP considers its gateway to south India. It is not clear whether they will be sent to Bengaluru or monitor the administration from Delhi.
