Portfolio allocation to 17 new ministers on Sunday: CM Yediyurappa
Bengaluru, Aug 24: The allocation of portfolios to 17 newly inducted ministers into his cabinet in Karnataka will take place after his return from New Delhi on Sunday, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Saturday.
Yediyurappa cited death of BJP stalwart and former finance minister Arun Jaitley, and his travel to Delhi on Sunday to pay his last respects to the departed leader as the reasons for the delay.
"I have had discussion with Amit Shah (BJP president).
Today I had to send the list (of portfolios) to the Governor.
As Arun Jaitley passed away, this was not the right time.
Tomorrow after coming from Delhi I will do it..everything is clear, there are no issues," Yediyurappa told reporters here.
Yediyurappa had earlier said allocation of portfolios will be done by Saturday post noon.
"I have had one-and-half hour long discussion with our national president and Home Minister Amit Shah regarding political developments in the state and other things.
By second half of the day who should be given what portfolio in the cabinet, will be finalised," he had told reporters here late last night after returning from Delhi .
Having a tight rope to walk by pacifying the disgruntled MLAs who missed out on Cabinet berth, coupled with allocation of portfolios to new ministers, Yediyurappa had left for Delhi on Thursday to consult BJP central leadership to deal with the situation.
Some disqualified former legislators of the Congress and JDS who helped bring down the coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy reportedly are also piling pressure on Yediyurappa, seeking their pound of flesh and plum portfolios.
Amid all this, talks of having Deputy Chief Ministers and one more round of cabinet expansion soon to induct couple of disgruntled MLAs has gained momentum in BJP circles, party sources said, adding that "However, there is still no final decision on this."
On his return from Delhi, several Ministers including V Somanna and Suresh Kumar met Yediyurappa and held discussions on Saturday.
Independent MLA H Nagesh expressed hope about getting Energy portfolio.
"I will do good job if given power (Energy) department as I have worked in the sector and have experience.
I hope I will get good portfolio..," he told reporters.
More than three weeks after he was sworn in as the Chief Minister, Yediyurappa expanded his cabinet last Tuesday, inducting 17 Ministers.
Though the expansion brought an end the nearly month long wait for the cabinet to take shape, it led to some heartburn in a section of the party as several MLAs continued to make no secret of their displeasure after missing the bus.
With several MLAs openly expressing displeasure over being left out, Yediyurappa has been making attempts to douse the embers, by reaching out to them.
The Chief Minister on Saturday too tried to pacify eight time Hukkeri MLA Umesh Katti, around whom several disgruntled MLAs are reportedly rallying.
According to reports Katti has expressed his displeasure to Yediyurappa during the meeting, about induction of former legislator Laxman Savadi, who is neither a member of the Assembly not the Council, being made the Minister, allegedly in Savadis presence.
Kattis telephonic conversation with Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday night, which both of them termed as causal friendly conversation, had led to speculation about the former's next political move.
Another BJP MLA from Honnali M P Renukacharya too continued his attack on Savadi without naming him, but said, he will remain loyal to Yediyurappa and the party.
Yediyurappa has kept 16 Minister posts vacant to accommodate some more BJP members and from among those 17 disqualified former legislators who helped him come to power.
Meanwhile, few disqualified MLAs, who were in Delhi to meet lawyers representing them in the Supreme Court, where their plea challenging disqualification was pending, are returning to Bengaluru, sources said.
According to reports, they had expressed keenness to meet BJP's central leadership on their political future, but that did not happen.
The then assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar had disqualified 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs under the anti-defection law, which they have challenged in the Supreme Court.
On getting relief from the apex court, some of them would be inducted into the cabinet as per the arrangement agreed upon, BJP sources said, noting that Yediyurappa has kept 16 berths still vacant.
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DMK ally blames party's 'big brother' attitude, exits alliance ahead of TN polls
Chennai (PTI): Ahead of the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi on Sunday announced quitting the DMK-led SPA, with its founder T Velmurugan objecting to the ruling party's "big brother" attitude.
The decision was taken also following his party being "ignored,", Velmurugan, incumbent MLA from Panruti (Cuddalore dt) Assembly segment, told reporters here.
"We were told during seat-sharing negotiations that we will be allotted one seat for the Assembly polls. We have been raising a set of demands, including regarding social justice. We were told when other parties are not asking for any demands, why you are making such demands," Velmurugan said.
"I have been repeatedly asking the government to fulfil at least some of the demands. But the DMK has been ignoring it," he claimed.
On his further course of action, he said that his organisation would not join the NDA in Tamil Nadu and indicated that he was talking to some parties over forming an alliance.
Further, "we have been making charter of demands to the negotiation panel (of the DMK). I have been informing that there was not any problem on allocation of seats but immediately take steps to fulfil these demands," he said.
Recalling that he has been speaking about the same demands in the legislative assembly for several years, Velmurugan alleged that "the DMK-led government did not care about them."
During seat-sharing negotiations, Velmurugan claimed, the approach of the election panel of the DMK was like a "big brother".
"We were told that when political parties including Congress, Communists, and MDMK did not place any such demands, as a legislator and the representative of a small party, they did not deem it fit for us to give such demands and ask them to be fulfilled. "
"Treating us like this is not acceptable", Velmurugan added.
He accused some officials of complaining to Chief Minister MK Stalin and his ministers that he is constantly "giving trouble" to the government, Velmurugan alleged.
He questioned why the DMK government was refusing to conduct a Caste Census in the state.
"How can DMK walk the path of social justice while keeping forces against social justice by its side. When states like Odisha, Bihar conducted caste census, why the DMK did not respect my voice," he asked.
Maintaining that he has been in the DMK-led alliance for five years and successfully contested under the Dravidian party's 'Rising Sun' Symbol in 2021 elections, he expressed his gratitude to Stalin and the alliance parties who wanted him to continue in the alliance.
"In accordance with the decision taken collectively by our party's executive committee, general council, political leadership committee and based on the powers given to me, I announce that from today, Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi is withdrawing from the DMK-led alliance," he said.
DMK leads the multi-party Secular Progressive Alliance and the constituents include Congress and Left parties.
Meanwhile, responding to the party's exit from SPA, DMK General Secretary and state minister Durai Murugan said, "When someone leaves an alliance, will they say it is a good government and that is why we are leaving."
"They will only leave by saying that this regime is not good. This is just what is habitually said (by parties whenever they quit an alliance)."
Asked whether further talks may be held with Velmurugan, he said, "negotiations are not my subject. Leave me out of it."
