Bengaluru: The much-awaited expansion of Karnataka Ministry will take place on June 12, which is seen as an attempt to defuse the tension within the Congress-JDS coalition government.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday met Governor Vajubhai Vala and requested him to expand his ministry, which has currently 28 ministers. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 11.30 am.
Sources told ANI that two independent, H Nagesh -- Mulabagilu MLA and R Shankar -- Ranebennur MLA, both supporting the coalition government, are expected to be inducted in the ministry.
Former state minister and senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy may once again take oath as a minister, sources said.
Former Chief Minister and Congress-JD(S) coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah had on Wednesday said that Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy will be made minister at the time of the reshuffle.
Currently, there are three ministerial vacancies out of which two are to be filled from the JDS quota and one from the Congress.
The coalition government is said to be in deep water after the BJP's clean sweep in the recently held Lok Sabha polls. The saffron party had also won one of the two assembly seats for which bypolls were held simultaneously.
The government is supported by 80 Congress MLAs, 37 of JDS, two independents and a legislator of Bahujan Samaj Party. The BJP's tally in the Karnataka Assembly stands at 105.
