Bengaluru: The rush for ministerial berths has begun in right earnest in the Bharatiya Janata Party with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa set to embark on the task of expanding his cabinet soon after winning the trust vote in the assembly on Monday.
Sources said the expansion may happen by the week end after getting the nod of the BJP central leadership.
According to sources, Mr Yediyurappa will fly to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Party National President Amit Shah and Working President J.P. Nadda and has already prepared a list of probables for induction into the cabinet which he will carry with him to the national capital.
In the first round, Mr. Yediyurappa plans to induct 15 to 18 ministers and keep 15 posts vacant for the disqualified rebel Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs who played a pivotal role in toppling the coalition government and in bringing the Bharatiya Janata Party to power.
If they receive a favourable judgement from the top court where they have challenged the Speaker's ruling disqualifying them, a dozen of the rebel MLAs are likely to join the Yediyurappa cabinet, said a senior BJP leader.
The names of BJP leaders doing the rounds for cabinet berths include Jagadish Shettar, C.M. Udasi, Umesh Katti, Govind Karjol, J.C. Maadhuswamy, K.S. Eshwarappa, V. Somanna, B. Sreeramulu, Aravind Limbavali, Basavaraj Bommai, Murugesh Nirani, Suresh Kumar, R. Ashok, C.T. Ravi, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Vishveshara Hegde Kageri, K. Shivana Gowda Naik, C.C. Patil, Araga Jnanendra, Kumar Bangarappa and Independent MLA H. Nagesh, sources added.
The Chief Minister is also expected to take into account factors like castes, region and the organizational background of party MLAs before making his pick.
