Wait continues for cabinet exercise in Karnataka, DCM Laxman Savadi says decision by next week
Bengaluru: As the wait continues for expansion or reshuffle of cabinet in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi said on Friday the high command is likely to communicate their decision in about a week's time.
"CM (B S Yediyurappa) has made national president J P Nadda aware about all related matters here.
Nadda ji has informed the CM he will discuss with the Prime Minister and Amit Shah (Union Home minister) and will convey the decision..It will come in four to six days," Laxman Savadi told reporters at Kalaburagi.
Responding to a question on some ministerial aspirants meeting BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, he said, "they (MLAs) have freedom to express their feelings with the president and the Chief Minister.
They have expressed their opinion and the CM and the president will look into it."
Yediyurappa after his meeting with Nadda in Delhi yesterday on the cabinet exercise, had said the party national president has sought a couple of days time to consult other leaders on the matter.
Developments in Delhi on Wednesday was a repetition of sorts for Yediyurappa, as he was sent back with a similar reply by Nadda, when the Chief Minister had gone with a proposal to take up cabinet expansion exercise in September, ahead of the monsoon session of the state legislature.
Political activities have intensified within the ruling BJP camp in the state after Yediyurappa on November 10 indicated that cabinet reshuffle was on the cards after the party's victory in the bypolls to two assembly constituencies.
The Chief Minister had then hinted about reshuffle by dropping or inducting some Ministers.
The cabinet expansion or reshuffle is expected to be a tightrope walk for Yediyurappa, considering that there are too many aspirants. Several legislators have openly declared their aspirations and political hobnobbing is also taking place within the BJP circles.
A few aspirants had met BJP state president Kateel on Thursday, apparently aimed at securing their place during the cabinet exercise this time. On the other hand, 8-time MLA Umesh Katti, who has been sulking on being denied a chance earlier, met Yediyurappa on Friday.
Meanwhile in what is being dubbed as related development, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has met BJP national general secretary B L Santosh in New Delhi.
According to party sources, Jarkiholi is said to have lobbied for Congress-JD(S) rebels who joined the BJP along with him last year and helped the party come to power.
Recently some BJP legislators had met at Jarkiholi's residence and reportedly discussed cabinet exercise.
While several of the old guard like Katti are awaiting a chance to be inducted into the Ministry, Congress-JD(S) rebels like A H Vishwanath, R Shankar and M T B Nagaraj, who helped the BJP come to power and are now party MLCs, are also aspiring for slots.
As per the agreement, Yediyurappa will also have to keep space for Munirathna, following his win from Rajarajeshwari Nagar seat in the bypoll, and also for Pratap Gowda Patil who needs to win the Maski bypoll that is yet to be announced.
The cabinet currently has 27 members, and seven berths are still vacant.
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3 DRG personnel killed, 1 injured as IED goes off during demining operation in Chhattisgarh
Kanker (PTI): Three personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), including an inspector, were killed and another jawan was injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) went off while they were trying to neutralise it in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday, police said.
This was the first blast incident linked to Naxalite activity in the state since the country was declared free from armed Maoists on March 31.
The explosion occurred in a forest area under Chhotebethiya police station limits, near the Narayanpur district border, when a DRG team was conducting a demining operation to locate and defuse IEDs planted earlier by Naxalites, a police official said.
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During the operation, the security personnel detected an IED. However, the explosive went off while they were in the process of defusing it, seriously injuring four personnel, he said.
Inspector Sukhram Vatti, constable Krishna Komra and constable Sanjay Gadhpale succumbed to their injuries on the spot, the official said.
Another injured constable, Parmanand Komra, is undergoing treatment and receiving necessary medical care, he said.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam said, based on inputs from surrendered Maoist cadres and other intelligence over the past few months, security forces had recovered and neutralised hundreds of IEDs planted earlier by Naxalites across the Bastar range, comprising seven districts, including Kanker.
"However, in today's unfortunate incident, the IED accidentally exploded while the Kanker district police team was trying to defuse it, resulting in the death of three personnel and serious injuries to one," he said.
