Karnataka Cabinet expansion after Dec 8?

Bengaluru, Nov 30: The Cabinet expansion is back to haunt the Congress-JDs coalition. The KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao assured that the Cabinet expansion will be completed before the commencement of winter session of the assembly.

Karnataka's coalition government will reportedly sort out differences with disgruntled Congress MLAs on December 8th at a private hotel in Bengaluru. However, a date is not yet fixed by the Congress High Command. State leaders waiting for the party in charge KC Venugopal to bring good news for the disgruntled MLAs.

Several MLAs, especially those from the Congress, who are aspirants for ministerial posts, have been demanding the expansion to be taken up at the earliest.

On Nov 18, Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said cabinet in Karnataka would take place "at the earliest".

Currently, Congress has 22 of the 34 cabinet berths, as well as the post of deputy chief minister. JD(S) has 12 ministerial posts, including that of the chief minister. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has multiple portfolios. The caste wise allocation of portfolios is : Vokkaliga-9, Lingayat-4, SC-4, ST-1, Muslim-2, Kuruba-2, Christian-1, Reddy-1, Ediga-1, OBC-1, Brahmin-1.

Congress has to induct six MLAs and JDS only one. For Congress, the caste calculation is once again going to haunt. The party has to watch its steps so that disgruntled MLAs, especially Lingayat/Veerashaiva community leaders, should not pose threat to the coalition ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.