Karnataka MLC Shankar hopeful of being made minister, claims expansion likely in 2-3 days
Bengaluru: Some Ministerial aspirants in the ruling BJP in Karnataka have thrown their hat into the ring, making no secret of their wish amid renewed speculations that the much-awaited expansion of the BS Yediyurappa cabinet is likely this month.
BJP MLC R Shankar on Tuesday met Chief Minister Yediyurappa and later claimed the expansion would happen in 2-3 days and that he will be made a Minister.
Hosadurga MLA Goolihatti D Shekhar said he too was an aspirant for a ministerial berth.
"Even now the CM was saying that as soon as possible, within two to three days it (expansion) will happen....also as we were having breakfast with the Chief Minister, Umesh Katti (eight-time MLA and Ministerial aspirant) told me that I will become Minister in two-three days," Shankar told reporters.
There are all indications that the expansion would happen soon, he added.
However, reacting to Shankar's claims, Chief Minister's political secretary and MLA M.P Renukacharya said, no discussion has happened regarding cabinet expansion or reshuffle yet, and the party national general secretary (Arun Singh) has instructed them to wait for the right time.
Shankar, who got elected as independent from Ranebennur during the 2018 assembly polls, had associated himself with the Congress and was part of its coalition government with JD(S).
Subsequently, he defected to BJP, after disqualification as an MLA for his role along with other Congress-JD(S) legislators that led to the collapse of the coalition government.
While giving a BJP ticket to Arun Kumar Guthur during December 2019 by-polls, Yediyurappa was said to have promised a Ministerial position by making Shankar an MLC.
Goolihatti Shekhar, meanwhile, expressed discontentment regarding the functioning of the party's government in the state and certain Ministers.
"I will abide by CM and high command's decision...I have been an aspirant since 2008 (first BJP govt), even now I'm an aspirant but will leave it to leadership...," he said in response to a question from reporters.
Asked about the feeling within the party that newcomers were getting priority over those loyal to the party, he merely said, "ask for my response after expansion, this is not the time."
After attending party meetings in Shivamogga on Sunday, BJP national General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh had said the expansion of the state cabinet was likely soon and it was Chief Minister's prerogative.
Yediyurappa has been waiting for some time now to carry out the cabinet exercise, as he was asked by BJP president J P Nadda during their meeting in New Delhi on November 18, to wait for the clearance from the central leadership.
The cabinet expansion or reshuffle is expected to be a tightrope walk for the Chief Minister, considering that there are too many aspirants, from the party old guard to Congress- JD(S) rebels who are now BJP legislators.
The cabinet currently has 27 members, and seven berths are still vacant.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC dismisses L&T's plea challenging tender of Sharavathi power project in Karnataka
New Delhi, Apr 30: The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea by engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro Ltd challenging the short-term tender floated for the construction of the Rs 8,000-crore Sharavathi pumped storage power project in Karnataka.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra upheld the April 25 order of the Karnataka High Court that had also declined the petition by L&T against the tender by Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL).
"We are not inclined to entertain the Special Leave Petition under Article 136 of the Constitution of India. The Special Leave Petition is accordingly dismissed," the bench said.
The engineering and construction major had said in its appeal that the tender process for the project had been run in an arbitrary, perverse and unreasonable manner.
In its order, the high court had said, "Electro-mechanical and hydro-mechanical works are admittedly an integral part of the project and the petitioner, being only a civil contractor, was not eligible to perform the work unless it could find association of a specialised agency.
"The submission that the appellant was unable to enter into a contract with any of such agencies finds factual justification, for the petitioner could not show that it had an expert agency as a partner to enter into the memorandum of understanding.”
Infrastructure firm Megha Engineering and Infrastructure (MEIL) on Monday said it has bagged the 2,000-megawatt project.
The Sharavathi river is a vital source of hydroelectric power in Karnataka, a company statement said, adding that with a planned total power generation capacity of 2000 MW, it is the country’s largest pump storage power generation unit.
Karnataka aims to solve the power crisis in the state through this big budget project. The cost of the project is over Rs 8,000 crore, it stated.
