The Hindu : Front Page : Cabinet expansion tomorrow

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Tuesday, Nov 02, 2010
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Cabinet expansion tomorrow

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: The BJP has decided to schedule the Cabinet expansion on Wednesday. According to sources, the swearing-in ceremony has been fixed tentatively at 9.30 a.m. on that day.

There are six vacant berths in the Ministry after the party witnessed a rebellion in its ranks. However, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is learnt to have decided to go in for a partial expansion of the Ministry by filling only four berths as a strategy to keep the hopes of the disappointed ministerial aspirants alive.

Independent member Varthur Prakash and Narasimha Nayak (Raju Gowda) are said to be sure candidates to get ministerial posts. Though the party is expected to officially finalise the candidates for the remaining two berths on Tuesday, the names of C.T. Ravi and former Minister Sogadu Shivanna are said to have been informally cleared by top leaders.

A senior party functionary only said that the candidates for the remaining two berths would be from Chikmagalur and Tumkur districts.

Chief Whip quits

The ministerial expansion is threatening to snowball into a complex exercise as competition has arisen among some ministerial aspirants. Already, BJP Chief Whip in the Assembly D.N. Jeevaraj has submitted his resignation from the post to the Chief Minister in a bid to bring pressure on Mr. Yeddyurappa to induct him into the Ministry.

Chikmagalur, Tumkur, Kodagu, Bidar and Bijapur districts are yet to get representation in the Ministry. Of them, Chikmagalur and Tumkur districts may get representation this time.

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