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Yeddyurappa to expand Ministry today

BANGALORE: The B.S. Yeddyurappa Ministry will be expanded on Thursday for the second time with the induction of three more members, one of whom is likely to be a former Minister.

The Chief Minister and senior leaders of the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party remained tight-lipped on the names of the legislators to be inducted into the Ministry. Senior legislators of the party, particularly those who have been elected to the Legislative Assembly for three or four terms, are also exerting pressure for their inclusion in the Cabinet.

Mr. Yeddyurappa refrained from naming those to be inducted, but told The Hindu that the exercise was being taken up to accommodate the new entrants.

The party is expected to adopt a first come, first served policy wherein the first three new entrants will be accommodated.

In other words, three vacancies are to be filled from among those who resigned from the Assembly recently. Of the four legislators — two of the Congress and two of the Janata Dal (S) — who quit the Assembly over the weekend to join the BJP, J. Narasimhaswamy has been appointed the chairman of the Ambedkar Development Corporation.

Hence, those under consideration for ministerial berths are Balachandra Jarkiholi, Anand Asnotikar and Shivanagouda Naik who resigned from the Assembly last week, and Umesh Katti (Janata Dal-S) and Jaggesh (Congress) who have reportedly expressed their willingness to the join the BJP.

Incidentally, soon after the 13th Legislative Assembly was constituted, the Janata Dal (S) leadership preferred Mr. Umesh Katti for appointment as leader of the Janata Dal (S) Legislature Party.

With the induction of the three members, the strength of the Yeddyurappa Ministry will touch 34.

The expansion will take place four days ahead of the commencement of the budget session of the legislature.

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