Cabinet expansion by Saturday afternoon, portfolios also to be allotted: Minister KH Muniyappa
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister K H Muniyappa on Friday said the Cabinet expansion will take place on Saturday afternoon and the portfolios would also be allotted by evening.
Muniyappa also said barring four or five ministerial posts, rest would be filled up in the same day.
According to the Minister, the Cabinet would be a mix of seniors and young people.
"Tomorrow, the Cabinet expansion will take place. Time has also been fixed. It would be tomorrow afternoon. Most of the posts would be filled," Muniyappa told reporters after returning from New Delhi.
To a question on how many ministerial posts would be filled, he said, "Barring four or five, rest all would be filled up."
When asked whether senior leaders have put up any demand before the party high command regarding ministerial positions, Muniyappa said at this juncture it would be difficult to say anything. "However, we need seniors as well as young people. We need to make a balance of both," he pointed out.
On portfolios, the Minister said it has not been fixed yet. "Portfolio would be decided tomorrow. By Saturday evening, portfolios have to be announced," he added.
Devanahalli MLA Muniyappa, a former Union Minister and a seven-time Lok Sabha member, took oath as Karnataka Minister on May 20 along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Against the permissible strength of 34, 10 posts have been filled so far including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, while 24 posts are lying vacant.
Those who have sworn-in, other than Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, are Dr G Parameshwara, Muniyappa, K J George, M B Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge, Ramalinga Reddy and B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan.
Hectic lobbying are on for ministerial positions and many aspirants camped in Delhi to impress upon their candidature.
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BJP's Purvanchali leader Anil Jha joins AAP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP's Purvanchali leader and two-time former MLA from Kirari Anil Jha joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday.
The development came a few hours after the AAP suffered a big blow as its Najafgarh MLA and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot quit the party.
Kejriwal welcomed Jha to the AAP at party headquarters near Mandi House and dubbed him as one of the "biggest" Purvanchali leaders in Delhi politics. He will boost the AAP not only in Kirari but all over the city, the AAP supremo said.
Party sources claimed that Jha could replace the sitting AAP MLA from Kirari, in the Delhi Assembly polls due in February.
Jha lauded Kejriwal, saying he was influenced by his personality and the work done by the AAP government to improve the lives of Purvanchali people living in unauthorised colonies of the city.
Kejriwal alleged that while the AAP government built 10,000 km of roads and streets, laid 6800 km of sewer lines and provided piped water in 1,650 unauthorised colonies, "the BJP did nothing".
"I want to ask the BJP and its leader Amit Shah, why should Purvanchali people vote for the party. I challenge them to tell one thing they did for the Purvanchali people in Delhi. They promised the registry of properties in these colonies but not a single one could be done in five years," he said.
When asked by reporters Kejriwal, however, refused to comment on Gahlot's resignation from the AAP.
