Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 4: Twenty-nine ministers, including some from the former BS Yediyurappa cabinet, were inducted in the new Basavaraj Bommai cabinet in Karnataka on Wednesday afternoon. The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by the governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in the Raj-Bhavan.
The new cabinet will have no deputy chief ministers, unlike in the Yediyurappa cabinet where there were three deputy chief ministers, and the younger son of Yediyurappa and the state BJP vice-president BY Vijayendra also did not find a place in the new cabinet. A berth for his son in the new cabinet was believed to have been the part of understanding for Yediyurappa to tender his resignation at the completion of two years in the office on July 26 paving the way for Bommai to take over the reins of the state.
“Held detailed discussions with high command in Delhi regarding the cabinet expansion, after the final round of discussion last night, this morning the list was finalised,” Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru before the oath ceremony, the Chief Minister had said “A total of 29 Ministers will take oath, and in the previous cabinet led by BS Yediyurappa there were three Deputy CMs, but this time there will be none as per the high command’s directions.”
“The cabinet will be a mixture of both experience and new strength,” he said, adding that in the cabinet there will be 7 OBCs, 3 SCs, 1 ST, 7 Vokkaligas, 8 Lingayats, 1 Reddy, also among them is a woman.
Noting that the list was prepared after rounds of discussion between him and the national president, and among the national leadership, the Chief Minister said, “there is no question of any one’s pressure. It is done after comprehensive thinking.”
On Vijayendra’s exclusion, he said the national president has spoken to Yediyurappa and the national General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh spoke to Vijayendra personally. “I can only say, Vijayendra’s name is not there in the list today.”
Aimed at giving pro people administration and to face the upcoming elections, this cabinet is being formed, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP chief JP Nadda, he said.
The new cabinet will respond to the needs of the people, earn their trust and give good governance, he said.
In response to a question on still some ministerial berths being kept vacant, he said the cabinet is usually expanded in stages, whichever regions have not got representation will be given, whenever it is done next.
The sanctioned strength of the Karnataka cabinet is 34.
Asked about some leaders from the previous cabinet being dropped, Bommai said the high command has decided to rope in some senior leaders with organisational experience for the party organisational works.