Bommai’s Cabinet takes shape; 29 sworn in ministers

Bengaluru, Aug 4 (UNI) The cabinet expansion laboured by the incumbent Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai in the brainstorming two-day deliberations with the top BJP brass in Delhi has all the glimpses of cabinet expansion Prime Minister Narendra Modi had orchestrated at the Centre.
ooking at the structure of the 29-member ministry, it conveys that the political wizardry of Modi and his accomplices Amit Shah and JP Nadda, were reflected. They weighed the political prospects of the party in the poll-bound state by almost getting the caste and regional combinations right. A formula, they had applied while they reshuffled and expanded their cabinet at the Centre. This news agency had published an elaborate article on the issue ahead of cabinet expansion in Karnataka.
For instance, six fresh faces have been inducted to groom them for future challenges as state polls stare in the face of the party. These young Turks have been considered for the hard work they put in their constituencies. V Sunil Kumar from Karkala, Araga Jnanendra (Thirthahalli), Munirathna (RR Nagar), Halappa Achar (Yelburga), Shankar Patil Munenkopp (Navalgunda) and BC Nagesh (Tiptur), have been adequately inducted, according to them the status of first-time ministers.
The party seems determined to retain its dominance in the state, by not only giving chance to the fresh blood but also reinducting the old warhorses like Govind Karjol, KS Eshwarappa, R Ashoka, B Sriramulu, Umesh Katti, and JC Madhuswamy into the ministry, to achieve Yediyurappa’s dreams of bringing the party back to power in 2023 by winning 135-odd seats.
Not only did the central leadership accorded importance to the geographical factor, but also took into consideration the caste factor, when they picked the ministry for Bommai. They ensured backward classes and Dalits, along with Vokkaligas and Lingayats were adequately represented.
The expansion saw seven ministers from the backward class, three Dalits, one ST, seven OBC, eight Lingayat, seven Vokkaligas, and two Brahmin ministers, woo these communities.
These criteria were applied even when the BJP top brass sat to induct central ministers hailing from Karnataka. They had inducted Narayanaswamy who belongs to the scheduled caste (left) along with Sobha Karandlaje hailing from Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities.
Rabble-rousers shunted out
The central leadership did not give an entry to rabble-rousers into the ministry to avoid embarrassment to the party ahead of state polls. By shunting them out, they sent a strong message to the rest of the leaders that the party will not tolerate any dissent.
Arvind Bellad, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, and CP Yogeshwara, had been vocal against Yediyurappa. Yogeshwar had even crossed the extremes of decency when he equated Yediyurappa to an elephant over his son BY Vijayendra’s over-indulgence in state affairs. “Change is necessary. We can’t allow elephant’s son (BY Vijayendra, son of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa) to carry howdah (CM post) because his father carried it,” Bellad had said.
The top brass also shut the doors on Yatnal who was at loggerheads with Yediyurappa and had referred to the chief minister as a “rubber stamp chief minister” due to his son’s interference. He had also accused Yediyurappa’s government of indulging in unbridled corruption in various issues, including tackling COVID-19, while making out a case for replacing him if the BJP is to be saved in Karnataka.
They also ignored Bellad’s candidature, who had charged Yediyurappa for tapping his phone in a conspiracy to defame him. He had also petitioned the then Home Minister Bommai and Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri in the matter and demanded an inquiry into it.
The flurry of complaints against Vijayendra by these leaders and few others forced the core leaders to omit his name, sticking to Modi’s slogan of “naa khaunga na khane doonga.”
Why no DCMs?
The central leadership did not entertain the idea of having deputy chief ministers as they did on previous occasions. Between 2008-13, the BJP government had two deputy chief ministers Ashoka and Eshwarappa and in the previous Yediyurappa’s cabinet, there were three.
In the last cabinet led by Yediyurappa, Karjol and Ashwathnarayan were made deputy chief ministers, along with Laxman Savadi to keep Yediyurappa in check. However, this time the central leadership rejected Bommai’s suggestion to have deputy chief ministers, giving full freedom for him to govern, unlike Yediyurappa whose wings were clipped.