Cabinet rejig suspense grows, CM says final list likely today

Almost two days have passed since chief minister Basavaraj Bommai landed in Delhi in a bid to get his cabinet approved from the BJP high command as soon as possible to avoid a repeat of 2019, when it took a long time for BS Yediyurappa to get his council of ministers

Almost two days have passed since chief minister Basavaraj Bommai landed in Delhi in a bid to get his cabinet approved from the BJP high command as soon as possible to avoid a repeat of 2019, when it took a long time for BS Yediyurappa to get his council of ministers.

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After a long wait, Bommai on Tuesday night said that the BJP national leadership has informed to provide a final list of candidates by Wednesday morning post which it will be sent to the Raj Bhavan.

“We are trying to get the swearing in done by tomorrow itself,” Bommai said. Talking about the delay, he said there were a few issues on the number of leaders to be included and some differences of opinion on carving out places for deputy chief minister’s. He added that the national leaders will take a final call on it.

Bommai also said that Yediyurappa and the BJP’s national president are likely to talk, possibly about the cabinet.

The CM said that the cabinet, which will have a mix of experience and new faces, will be formed keeping the 2023 elections in mind and to provide a clean, efficient and pro-people government. Meanwhile. some leaders like BC Patil, who served as the agriculture minister has already announced that he will take oath on Wednesday.

The chief minister after his meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda on Monday had said that he is likely to get the candidates list by Tuesday.

“I have had a detailed discussion with our national president. With JP Naddaji and have explained the ground situation in the state. They have said that they will have a detailed discussion tomorrow (Tuesday). Since Parliament session is going on, by tomorrow(Tuesday) evening or night they might give us a final cabinet list,” Bommai had said.

However, with the national leadership still deliberating on the possible candidates, the state continues to wait for some relief after nearly three years (including HD Kumaraswamy-government) for some semblance of stability from the administration to deliver on much needed governance. Especially, at a time when nearly half the state has been impacted by floods and the imminent third wave of Covid-19 infections rearing its head much earlier than anticipated.

Yediyurappa’s cabinet, which was dissolved after the change in leadership, had more to do with rewarding loyalists and turncoats who helped him to power in 2019 over considerations of regional and social representation, analysts said.

But the BJP high command, it appears, has taken back control over cabinet formation, leaving the chief minister at the mercy of the national leaders whose decision may or may not undercut the newly sworn in chief minister who already bears the burden of being referred to as a “rubber stamp”.

“Basavaraj Bommai has been made chief minister by Yediyurappa himself and his stamp will be there on this government,” Siddaramaiah, the former chief minister and Congress’ leader of the opposition said on Tuesday.

The BJP high command had instated three deputy chief ministers in Yediyurappa’s cabinet, however, this time around, analysts and people aware of the developments said that there is a likely chance that there will be at least one more addition in the deputy minister’s post.

People aware of the developments said that this time, the Centre is trying to get one member of Vokkaliga, one from backward caste and one each from SC and ST community. They have not ruled out the possibility of culling out another deputy CM post for a member of the Panchamasalis, the biggest sub-sect within the dominant Lingayats, to calm tempers from a community that has demanded better representation, reservation and are nursing a growing feeling of neglect for being overlooked for the chief minister’s post.

To be sure, Murugesh Nirani was among the probables to replace Yediyurappa but instead the latter proposed the name of Bommai, who is from the Sadar Lingayat sub-sect.

The probability of BY Vijayendra making his entry in the government has been peddled by some quarters, but people closely involved in the decision making process, have dismissed the speculation.

“This time there could be a good mix of youngsters and seniors in the cabinet and possibly modelled like the union cabinet reshuffle,” said one senior BJP functionary, requesting anonymity.

Analysts said that Yediyurappa has pushed prominent seers of the Lingayat community to add more pressure, as a way to challenge the BJP high command.

“Its kind of a dividing line as the traditional support of the BJP is Lingayats. But much of this support was routed through Yediyurappa,” said one Bengaluru-based analyst, requesting not to be named.

“He (Yediyurappa) has pitted the mathas against the central leadership,” the analyst added.

But which seniors to drop has become the big question as one section have accompanied Bommai, another set is squatting in Yediyurappa’s home and a sizeable number are running around in Delhi on their own trying to impress upon the BJP’s central leadership.

The likes of Raju Gouda, Sunil Kumar and Apachu Ranjan among others who identify with the core-ideology of the party are expected to make the list, people aware of the developments said.

Though there is still no clarity, several persons have batted for the retaining of the 13 turncoats who helped Yediyurappa to power in 2019.

In Yediyurappa’s cabinet, nearly half of 30 districts in the state were without representation, which Bommai is looking to fix this time around.

A large reason for this was due to the placating of turncoats who were mostly from the southern Karnataka region, including Bengaluru.

“The BJP bought our MLAs by paying them crores of rupees and formed the government and I am not sure what Bommai will do now,” Siddaramaiah said.

Bommai on Monday however said that there was no question of the turncoats being treated differently since they are no longer “outsiders”.

People aware of the developments said that the first list of ministers will be announced by noon on Wednesday.