Highly placed sources in the Congress say that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has called for a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, where the issue of dropping ministers will be raised.
Party insiders say that Women and Child Welfare Minister Jayamala, Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge, Sugar from Commerce and Industries Minister RB Thimmapur, Backward Classes and Welfare Minister C Puttaranga Shetty, Labour Minister Venkataramanappa, Urban Development Minister UT Khade, Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju, Small Scale Industries Minister SR Sreenivas and Transport Minister DC Thammanna are on the list of ministers likely to be dropped during the rejig. These ministries will instead be given to MLAs who are likely to join the BJP, in an attempt to incentivise them.
“The reshuffle will happen in mid-June. Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has asked Congress leader Siddaramaiah to make a list of potential MLAs, who are likely to defect and hold talks with them. The Congress is also making a list of party loyalists, who can be removed from the cabinet without repercussions and replace them with rebels,” the source added.
Congress sources say that four MLAs in the party have held talks with BJP leaders regarding defection including Chikkaballapura MLA Dr K Sudhakar, Hirekerur MLA BC Patil, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi and Shivajinagar MLA Roshan Baig. “If these leaders stay back, the others won’t be persuaded to leave,” the source said.
The Karnataka legislative assembly that has a total strength of 225 MLAs including the Speaker. The BJP is the single largest party with 105 BJP MLAs. Two independent MLAs have offered their support to the BJP has increasing its tally to 107 MLAs. The party needs just 7 MLAs to reach the halfway mark of 113.
Who is to be blamed for the loss?
Furious with his party men for the rebellion and the massive losses suffered in their strongholds, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is planning to sack JD(S) Ministers from Tumakuru and Mandya – SR Sreenivas and CS Puttaraju. While the JD(S) patriarch lost from Tumakuru, Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil suffered a crushing defeat in Mandya.
“Someone has to be blamed when things go wrong and this time it is the district-in charge ministers. Puttaraju and Sreenivas are two strong leaders in JD(S) and they are likely to be sacked. Congress is also planning to take remedial measures to turn things around. Firstly, there is demand for Priyank Kharge to be removed from his cabinet post. They are thinking about giving the seat to a leader from Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Someone from the Lambani community,” the source said.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara said that the party would initiate changes required to further political growth. “There will be organisation-level changes. There are no disgruntled MLAs and everyone is staying with the party,” he added.
Sources in the BJP say that the party is confident of toppling the government and will bring in President’s rule soon and later go for snap polls in November this year.
“Yeddyurappa kept making noises about the government falling but so far nothing happened. Everyone knew that the MLAs would not be persuaded to leave until Lok Sabha polls were over. The high command has instructed leaders to be patient. We are sure of bringing at least 15 of them into our Cong-JD(S) mulls cabinet reshuffle, rebel MLAs to be made ministeBlurb: A list of ministers who can be dropped without repercussions has been made.
Highly placed sources in the Congress say that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has called for a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, where the issue of dropping ministers will be aised.
Party insiders say that Women and Child Welfare Minister Jayamala, Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge, Sugar from Commerce and Industries Minister RB Thimmapur, Backward Classes and Welfare Minister C Puttaranga Shetty, Labour Minister Venkataramanappa, Urban Development Minister UT Khade, Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju, Small Scale Industries Minister SR Sreenivas and Transport Minister DC Thammanna are on the list of ministers likely to be dropped during the rejig. These ministries will instead be given to MLAs who are likely to join the BJP, in an attempt to incentivise them.
“The reshuffle will happen in mid-June. Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has asked Congress leader Siddaramaiah to make a list of potential MLAs, who are likely to defect and hold talks with them. The Congress is also making a list of party loyalists, who can be removed from the cabinet without repercussions and replace them with rebels,” the source added.
Congress sources say that four MLAs in the party have held talks with BJP leaders regarding defection including Chikkaballapura MLA Dr K Sudhakar, Hirekerur MLA BC Patil, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi and Shivajinagar MLA Roshan Baig. “If these leaders stay back, the others won’t be persuaded to leave,” the source said.
The Karnataka legislative assembly that has a total strength of 225 MLAs including the Speaker. The BJP is the single largest party with 105 BJP MLAs. Two independent MLAs have offered their support to the BJP has increasing its tally to 107 MLAs. The party needs just 7 MLAs to reach the halfway mark of 113.