K'taka Cabinet expansion before month-end: CM

Bangalore, May 2: The Karnataka Cabinet will be expanded before the end of this month, Chief Minister H D Kumaaraswamy informed today.

Speaking to newspersons here, he said a meeting of the Co-ordination Committee, comprising representatives from both the ruling coalition partners JD (S) and BJP, was held last night during which various issues, including the cabinet expansion, was discussed. ''Cabinet expansion will be done positively before the end of this month,'' he added.

Mr Kumaraswamy and Mr Yediyurappa were sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively on February three.

The Chief Minister expanded his cabinet by inducting 20 ministers- nine from JD(S) and 11 from the BJP on February 17.

He said JD (S) State President M P Prakash and BJP State President Sadananda Gowda took part in the meeting. Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was also present at the meeting.

He said the meeting also discussed steps to be taken to implement the Budget proposals announced by the coalition set up in March.

UNI