Karnataka Cabinet expansion on Tuesday; CM Yediyurappa awaits final list from Amit Shah

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka is set to go for its first Cabinet expansion on Tuesday. The Cabinet expansion is likely to take place between 10.30 am and 11.30 am at the Raj Bhawan in Bengaluru.

Speaking to news agency ANI over the Cabinet expansion, Yediyurappa said that he was awaiting the final list from BJP national president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“Within two to three hours, I am going to get the final list from Amit bhai (BJP president Amit Shah). So, cabinet expansion will be done tomorrow (Tuesday),” said the Karnataka Chief Minister shortly before noon on Monday.

The Karnataka Chief Minister’s office had earlier posted on microblogging site Twitter that the Cabinet expansion would be done on August 20 after the BJP legislature party meeting, which would take place at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on the same day.

The BJP government has already been under attack by the opposition parties over delay in the constitution of the Cabinet.

The Karnataka unit of the Congress party had earlier tweeted, "Is this what the BJP means by 'minimum government'? A cabinet without cabinet ministers? Will @BSYBJP wake up and stop our state from being mocked across the country? Karnataka needs a government. If @BSYBJP can't form one, he should step down."

Yediyurappa, who took oath as the Karnataka Chief Minister on July 26, is yet to form his Cabinet. He had formed the government in the state after toppling HD Kumaraswamy-led JDS-Congress government through a trust vote.