Cabinet expansion postponed: Siddaramaiah
New Delhi, May 27: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah said that as AICC president Rahul Gandhi is going to USA, the cabinet expansion was postponed and it would be postponed as soon as Rahul Gandhi returned to India.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, Siddaramaiah said that no final decision was taken on whom to be inducted into the cabinet. Moreover, it was not yet finalized on the tenure of the Chief Minister post, he said but declined to answer whether the tenure of the CM position is five years or 30 months.
He also said that there is no confusion on sharing ministerial berths between JDS and Congress.
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BJP hatching Op Lotus, alleges Shivakumar as 2 held for trying to bribe Odisha Cong MLAs
Bengaluru (PTI): Two people were arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe Odisha Congress MLAs, who are staying in a resort near here, as part of BJP's "Operation Lotus," Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar claimed on Sunday.
He alleged that the BJP has planned "Operation Lotus'" and was offering Rs five crore to each Odisha MLAs, who were flown here ahead of the March 16 Rajya Sabha polls in that state.
Eight MLAs, along with some other Odisha Congress unit office bearers are camping in the resort.
They have been flown to Bengaluru with apprehensions of horse trading during the Rajya Sabha elections in favour of ruling BJP's Rajya Sabha candidate.
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Shivakumar, also Congress' Karnataka chief, said two persons were apprehended at the private resort for attempting to buy over Odisha Congress MLAs.
"Four people have come. One local person named Suresh helped them; they contacted him (an MLA) online. In the morning they picked up our MLA. Our MLA told us that they offered Rs five crore for each vote. He (Congress MLA) said he is not for horse-trading," Shivakumar told reporters.
"The cheque and everything should be seized. A complaint will be filed at the police station. After that, whatever legal action is required will be taken," he added.
Shivakumar said those caught have accepted that they came for the "same purpose".
"They have admitted it and the process is on to trace others. This is the great Operation Lotus carried out by BJP friends in Karnataka," the DCM said.
Operation Lotus is a term used by Congress to claim about attempts to topple a non-BJP government by the BJP whose party symbol is lotus. It also involves getting the votes on MLAs from other parties for their Rajya Sabha candidate.
According to a Congress source, one of the persons involved in the horse trading is a defeated Lok Sabha candidate.
A source shared the photograph and blank cheques as well.
"They tried to negotiate with the Congress MLA by offering a blank cheque.
Both have been caught and handed over to the Bidadi police," the source said.
Police sources said that they have been arrested.
According to Congress sources, the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha will take place on Monday. The BJP has fielded one more candidate, which raised apprehensions of horse-trading.
Congress and the Biju Janata Dal have fielded a candidate.
