K'taka cabinet expansion soon after hearing from BJP high command: CM

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said he has had a detailed discussion with the BJP's central leadership regarding the expansion of the state cabinet and the exercise will take place as soon as he hears from them.

Bommai was in New Delhi for the last two days to participate in the BJP national executive meeting.

"We had already discussed it last time, they (party leadership) will inform at the earliest. As for the last two days, there was a national executive meeting, we could not discuss it exclusively," he said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters here, the Chief Minister said it was discussed with the central leadership earlier and will happen accordingly.

Bommai on December 26 met BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and had discussed with them in detail various issues, including the cabinet expansion.

Noting that he was expecting the cabinet expansion to take place soon, the CM said on January seven, one more meeting will be held soon to decide on the exercise. "The high command will decide who will get into the Council of Ministers." The CM has been under pressure from Ministerial aspirants over expansion of cabinet not taking place. Assembly elections are due in the state by May.

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

However, many aspirants feel it is “too late now” for the cabinet exercises, with elections fast approaching.