Cabinet expansion in Karnataka on Jan 14

Lonavala, Pune, Jan 5 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today said there would be a Cabinet expansion in the state on January 14.

He said would take important decisions to strengthen his government and revive his party's prospects during the three-day conclave with his team of 66 legislators at Amby Valley resort here.

Claiming that all was well with his government, Mr Kumaraswamy said the Wakf Board and Haj Affairs Minister Zameer Ahmed has reversed his decision to quit the Cabinet and will soon be arriving for the conclave. The Chief Minister reiterated that Ahmed realised that his decision was ''politically immature''. The matter had been resolved, he said.

Elaborating on the three-day conclave, Mr Kumaraswamy informed there would be a Cabinet expansion on January 14, coinciding with Makar Sankranti. Decisions of appointments to Boards and Corporations would be taken during the meeting, he said.

Defending his decision to come to the resort, he said ''Decisions can be taken in the quiet as there will be no disturbances here,'' and added, ''If Sonia Gandhi can do resort politics, so can we.'' On the contentious border issue between Karnataka and Maharashtra government over Belgaum, Kumaraswamy said the Mahajan Committee report should be accepted.

The Chief Minister arrived here in a chartered flight from Bangalore earlier with many legislators belonging to the Janata Dal (S), a coalition partner in Karnataka for a brainstorming session to revive party prospects and to review the functioning of the government which would soon complete its first year in power.

UNI