Ten, who dethroned HDK, inducted into BSY Cabinet

Bengaluru: Ten newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs, who were earlier in the Congress and JD(S) and were instrumental in dethroning the previous H.D. Kumaraswamy headed coalition government, were inducted into the Yediyurappa Cabinet on Thursday.

Despite much opposition from original partymen, Mr Yediyurappa was able to induct the 10 MLAs who were elected to the Assembly in the December bypolls.

The new ministers are S.T. Somashekar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Anand Singh, Dr K.Sudhakar, B.A.Basavaraj,  Shivaram Hebbar, B.C. Patil, K. Gopalaiah, Narayana Gowda and Srimant B.Patil with Governor Vajubhai Vala administering the oath of office to them at Raj Bhavan.

In fact, the BJP top brass had reportedly instructed the CM to induct only 6 to 8 MLAs, but Mr Yediyurappa was able to convince them to agree to the induction of  10 MLAs.

After the Cabinet expansion, the chief minister  told reporters that portfolios will be allotted to the new ministers by Saturday.

If possible he will leave for Delhi soon to discuss the allotment of portfolios and the third round of Cabinet expansion with the party high command.

The CM also disclosed that senior MLA, Umesh Katti, will be inducted into the Cabinet but declined to set a date for this.

Reacting to the cabinet expansion, former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said he is not happy that those who defected from Congress and the JD(S) became ministers because it was “anti-democracy” and they had betrayed their parties.

With the induction of ten ministers, Operation Lotus resorted to by the BJP to topple the previous coalition government has come full circle.

As many as 17 MLAs of the Congress and JD(S) had resigned from their respective parties to topple the Kumaraswamy government and help install a BJP government in the state in July last year.

Subsequently, then-Speaker of the Assembly K.R. Ramesh Kumar disqualified all 17 MLAs forcing them to seek re-election.