Bengaluru: Cabinet expansion and the allocation of portfolios to newly appointed ministers has upset many BJP oldtimers and senior ministers in the B.S.Yediyurappa government. The new ministers were all earlier in the Congress and JD(S) and had played a pivotal role in toppling the previous H.D. Kumaraswamy government.
To placate the sulking ministers and party loyalists who are MLAs, Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa and party state president Nalin Kumar Kateel have called a legislature party meeting on February 16. However the party maintains that the meeting has been called in view of the joint session which will commence from Monday, to discuss floor management and other important issues coming up in the session.
Senior leaders including MLAs like Umesh Katti, S.A. Ramdas, Tippeswamy and S. Angara have openly expressed their anger against the chief minister for not inducting them into the Cabinet. Some party functionaries are also upset with the CM for allotting plum portfolios to the new ministers, sources said
At the legislature party meeting, the upset MLAs are likely to raise the neglect of party loyalists while forming the government and will insist on accommodating long-time BJP workers in the boards and corporations.
