BJP Ministry in Karnataka Expanded

Bangalore, June 7: The eight-day old BJP Ministry in Karnataka was expanded with induction of Mr Katta Subramanya Naidu here today.

Governor Rameshwar Thakur administered Oath to Mr Naidu at Rajbhavan this evening. With this the strength of the the Cabinet headed by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has risen to 31. Mr Naidu, who was away in Kerala undergoing treatment, had missed the swearing in held on May 30 in which Mr Yeddyurappa and 29 others took oath. He was the Minister for Small and Large Industries during BJP-JD(S) coalition government earlier.

Later talking to newsmen, Mr Yeddyurappa said that allocation of portfolios to the Ministers would be finalised tonight or tomorrow morning after the arrival of BJP National General Secretary Arun Jaitley, who is also in charge of Karnataka Elections. Cabinet ministers, Speaker Jagadish Shettar and others including Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises, which is executing the controversial Express highway between Bangalore and Mysore Ashok Kheni were present on the occasion.

Large number of Mr Naidu followers burst crackers in front of Raj Bhavan to mark the ceremony.

UNI