Karnataka cabinet expansion: CM Yediyurappa likely to allocate portfolios to new Ministers on Thursday

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Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday indicated that he will allocate portfolios to seven newly inducted Ministers into his cabinet on January 21. Speculations are rife that the Chief Minister may reallocate portfolios to certain other Ministers in the cabinet whose strength is now 33.

"I will announce (portfolios) on Thursday. I will hold a consultation with everyone tomorrow and announce on Thursday," Yediyurappa told reporters in response to a question.

Ending a long wait, Yediyurappa had expanded his 17- month old cabinet on January 13, by inducting seven ministers as he also dropped Excise Minister H Nagesh from the ministry.

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The new Ministers who were sworn-in were: MLAs Umesh Katti (Hukkeri), S Angara (Sullia), Murugesh Nirani (Bilgi) and Arvind Limbavali (Mahadevapura), and MLCs R Shankar, M T B Nagaraj and C P Yogeshwar.

The cabinet expansion had led to resentment, with several MLAs expressing serious reservations about MLCs not elected by the people being made Ministers, lack of representation with most Ministers still from Bengaluru and Belagavi districts, and also on their "seniority or sacrifice" not being considered.

Amid talks of reallocation of portfolios, how Yediyurappa manages it will be interesting as several Ministers including the new inductees are looking for plum portfolios.

While a few Ministers have two portfolios, the Chief Minister along with Finance has Bangalore Development, Energy, Planning, DPAR, Information & Public Relations, Small Scale Industries, Backward Class Welfare Department, Tourism, Kannada and Culture, Youth Empowerment and Sports Department.

Among those with the CM, Bangalore Development and Energy are said to be the most sought after ones.