BJP National Gen Sec meets Yediyurappa, ministry expansion/reshuffle reportedly discussed
Bengaluru: BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh on Monday met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and reportedly discussed the long-awaited Ministry expansion or reshuffle exercise.
Santosh met the Chief Minister at his official residence and the meeting lasted for about 15-20 minutes, official sources said.
Both leaders are said to have discussed the expansion or reshuffle of the state cabinet, they said.
The meeting assumes significance as Yediyurappa on Friday had said that he was expecting communication from BJP national President J P Nadda on the cabinet exercise in two days and that arrangements would be made in three-four days for the swearing-in of new ministers.
BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel too met the Chief Minister after Santosh did and held discussions.
Though it is not clear what actually transpired at these meetings, party sources said that it was most likely about the cabinet exercise.
Earlier in the day, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, along with BJP MLC C P Yogeshwar, met Santosh.
Jarkiholi reportedly lobbied for a ministerial berth to Yogeshwar and Congress-JD(S) rebels who joined BJP along with him (Jarkiholi) last year and helped the party come to power.
Yogeshwar was said to be instrumental in managing rebel MLAs during their stay in Mumbai ahead of the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government last year.
Yediyurappa had met Nadda in New Delhi last week to discuss the expansion or reshuffle of his cabinet but was asked to wait for clearance from the central leadership to go ahead with the process.
Political activities have intensified within the ruling BJP camp after Yediyurappa on November 10 soon after the party's victory in by-polls to two assembly constituencies, indicated that cabinet reshuffle was on the cards.
He had then hinted about a reshuffle by dropping or inducting some Ministers, in consultation with the high command.
The cabinet expansion or reshuffle is expected to be a tightrope walk for Yediyurappa, considering that there are too many aspirants.
While several of the old guards like Katti are waiting for a chance to be inducted into the Ministry, Congress-JD(S) rebels like AH Vishwanath, R Shankar, and M T B Nagaraj, who helped BJP to come to power and are now party MLCs, are also aspiring for slots.
As per the agreement, Yediyurappa will have to keep space for Munirathna, following his win from Rajarajeshwari Nagar's seat in the November 3 by-poll and also for Pratap Gowda Patil, who needs to win the Maski by-poll that is yet to be announced.
The cabinet currently has 27 members and seven berths are still vacant.
There has also been intense speculation in some quarters that the BJP high command is mulling leadership change in Karnataka in the coming days, considering Yediyurappa's age (77 years), though the party's state unit had earlier rejected such reports.
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
