Basavaraj Bommai meets Nadda, Shah on reservation, cabinet expansion

New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday met BJP president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said he discussed various issues related to the reservation and cabinet expansion in the state.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with BJP's top brass here, Bommai said several issues related to reservation in the state were discussed while asserting that the party emphasises on social justice.

The Karnataka CM said that he also discussed cabinet expansion with the BJP's top leadership.

Earlier in the day, Bommai said in Belagavi he would be travelling to New Delhi to discuss with the BJP's national leadership cabinet expansion and preparations for the 2023 Assembly polls.

There were some reports of possible cabinet expansion by filling six vacant posts or a kind of a rejig by dropping a few and inducting an equal number of new faces.

Bommai has also to ensure legal protection to his government's decision of hiking the SC/ST quota, which has taken the total reservation in Karnataka to 56 per cent, exceeding the 50 per cent cap, by bringing it under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

Further, Panchamasali Lingayats are mounting pressure on him to put them under Category 2A from Category 3B of OBC reservation matrix. Then, there is pressure to implement internal quotas for SC/STs. Also, Vokkaligas are putting pressure on Bommai to hike their quota from 4 to 12 per cent.