He claimed that these are the two reasons why Mr. Bommai is not expanding the cabinet.
Kalaburagi:
Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah today claimed that the “secret” behind not expanding Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s cabinet was to avoid inducting BJP stalwart BS Yeddyurappa’s son as a minister.
Speaking to reporters, he also alleged that “excessive bribery” was another reason why Mr. Bommai was not exercising and keeping several portfolios with himself.
“The BJP did injustice to Yeddyurappa; they sided with the RSS to remove him from the chief minister’s post and bring in Basavaraj Bommai. There is a rift between Yeddyurappa and Bommai now, as Bommai left the cabinet to avoid inducting Yeddyurappa’s son. Didn’t expand the ministry,” Siddaramaiah claimed.
“When the cabinet is expanded, they have to make Yediyurappa’s son a minister, the chief minister has not expanded the ministry and six posts are keeping vacant, it’s been more than one-and-a-half years now,” he said.
Pointing out that the Chief Minister holds multiple portfolios, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly alleged that this was because he would get more bribes.
He claimed that these are the two reasons why Mr. Bommai is not expanding the cabinet.
About one-fourth of the portfolios are with the chief minister as Mr Bommai is in charge of about eight of them, including Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR), Bengaluru City Development and Finance.
Mr. Bommai has been saying repeatedly in recent months that he has discussed with the party high command regarding cabinet expansion and will take the process forward after getting their nod.
Assembly elections are due in the state by May.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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