Karnataka Cabinet rejig soon: Yediyurappa

Bengaluru, Jan 10: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday expressed confidence of soon getting a final clearance from the central BJP leadership for the much-awaited cabinet rejig in the state.

"On cabinet expansion, there was a detailed discussion. You will get good news soon," Yediyurappa told reporters after the meeting.

He said the final names will be cleared as early as possible because there was "positive, fruitful and satisfactory discussion".

"I am happy with the discussion. ...we will wait for their instructions," he said, adding the central leadership has assured its support.

When asked if this was the last meeting on cabinet expansion with the senior party leaders, the CM said, "A 101 percent this is the last meeting. They are going to clear the names as soon as possible."

The cabinet expansion in the state has been on the cards for over a year now, but it could not take place, giving some anxious moments to ministerial aspirants and also leading to dissatisfaction.

Among those in the ministerial race are MLAs Umesh Katti, Munirathna, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, M P Renukacharya, Aravind Limbavali and S R Vishwanath. Three MLCs - C P Yogeshwar, MTB Nagaraj and R Shankar - are too aspiring for a ministerial berth.

Another MLC, A H Vishwanath, too was in the race but his hopes dashed when the Karnataka High Court on November 30 barred him from becoming a minister until at least May this year.

The state can have a total of 34 ministers and it has 27 now. By-polls are scheduled for Maski and Basavakalyan assembly segments, and Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency.

While Maski fell vacant due to the resignation of sitting Congress MLA Pratap Gouda Patil in 2019, the by-polls to Basavakalyan and Belagavi seats have been necessitated by the deaths of their representatives B Narayan Rao and Suresh Angadi, respectively, due to coronavirus.