Ministerial aspirants continue lobbying as CM Yediyurappa plans Karnataka cabinet expansion
Bengaluru, Dec 31: With the much awaited expansion of the Karnataka cabinet slated some time in January, ministerial aspirants continued their lobbying by making a bee-line to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's residence here.
As Yediyurappa has already made it clear that 11 of the disqualified legislators who got re-elected on BJP ticket during the December 5 bypolls, will be made Ministers during the expansion, lobbying has intensified for the five remaining berths in the cabinet.
Currently there are 18 ministers including the Chief Minister in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength is 34.
According to sources, among those who met the Chief Minister at his residence on Tuesday include former minister and senior legislator Umesh Katti, former minister R Shankar and defeated party candidate from Hoskote during the bypolls MTB Nagaraj.
Though there is a strong word within the party circles that Katti is most likely to be considered during the expansion, sources said, it needs to be seen how Yediyurappa will maintain a balance, as his addition would increase the number of Ministers from Belagavi district to four.
There are already two Ministers-Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi and Women and Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle from Belagavi- in the cabinet while newly elected BJP MLA from Gokak Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been promised a ministerial berth, also hails from the district.
Kitti, an eight-time MLA was among the prominent senior BJP legislators who were miffed and sulking after failing to make it in the first round of cabinet expansion.
Shankar, who has been promised a Cabinet berth by Yediyurappa through MLC route, met the Chief Minister with an intention to ascertain his chances, sources said.
While giving a BJP ticket to Arun Kumar Guthur from Ranebennur and denying it to Shankar, a disqualified legislator, Yediyurappa had promised a Ministerial position by him making a MLC.
With Deputy Chief Minister Savadi too being considered for a MLC post to ensure his continuation in the ministry, it has caused worry to Shankar.
Savadi, who is currently not a member of the assembly or the council, can continue as a minister for six months till February.
Though there are speculations that some sitting BJP MLCs may be asked to step down to make way for those being considered for ministerial berths, there is no clarity on it so far, sources added.
MTB Nagaraj, one of the disqualified legislators, whose resignation paved way for the Yediyurappa government to come to power, is also aspiring for a ministerial berth, despite facing defeat in the assembly bypolls from Hoskote.
With other disqualified legislators, who have now got elected as BJP MLAs too pushing for Nagaraj to be made a minister as "promised" earlier, it needs to be seen what Yediyurappa decides.
If the Chief Minister decides to induct Nagaraj, he too will become a contender for the MLC post, the sources said.
There is only one council position vacant for now following Congress' Rizwan Arshad's election asMLA during the bypolls.
Several other BJP old guards like Arvind Limbavali, K G Bopaiah, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, Renukacharya among others are keenly aspiring for ministerial berths.
Though Yediyurappa has indicated that cabinet expansion may take place some time after Sankranti, party sources say it may be delayed slightly, and things will depend on the Chief Minister's meeting with the party high command in New Delhi, which is yet to take place.
Meanwhile, according to reports, newly-elected BJP legislators who have been promised cabinet berths are likely to meet the Chief Minister soon with a request to induct them into the cabinet before the Assembly session from February 17.
New legislators want to have a clarity on expansion from Yediyurappa, as he is expected to be out of country next month to attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, sources said.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
