BENGALURU: Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai flew down to Delhi on Friday after a last-minute change in his schedule, sparking buzz that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was close to firming up the outline of a much-rumoured cabinet expansion and the names for the party candidates for the state legislative council and Rajya Sabha.
This is the chief minister’s second visit to Delhi in 10 days. He was last in Delhi on May 10 and 11 and has had a detailed meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah where the BJP leaders were reported to have held discussions about the expansion or rejig of his council of ministers.
People aware of the matter said the decision on Bommai’s trip to national capital Delhi was taken around Friday noon.
One state BJP leader wondered if the trip was linked to Bommai’s future. “There are some changes expected in senior leadership but the high command has to make this decision as well as announce it,” the leader said, requesting anonymity.
Speculation that the BJP may be having second thoughts about Bommai resurfaced over the last week after Tripura’s Biplab Kumar Deb stepped down from the chief minister’s post on May 14 ahead of assembly elections early next year.
Bommai remains confident of leading the party to the 2023 assembly elections - he was brought in last July, replacing BS Yediyurappa - but has been perceived to have spent much of the time fighting one crisis after another. His critics have alleged that the state, under his leadership, has given a free hand to right-wing groups to deflect attention away from criticism over governance.
{{/usCountry}}Bommai remains confident of leading the party to the 2023 assembly elections - he was brought in last July, replacing BS Yediyurappa - but has been perceived to have spent much of the time fighting one crisis after another. His critics have alleged that the state, under his leadership, has given a free hand to right-wing groups to deflect attention away from criticism over governance.
{{/usCountry}}There are also some candidates for upcoming elections whose names require more attention and deliberations, according to another person.
Yediyurappa’s son, BY Vijayendra, has also been proposed for the upper house of the state legislature, adding that there was a possibility that Vijayendra could eventually also make it into the state cabinet.
Bommai will also leave for Davos to attend the world economic forum annual meeting from May 22 to May 26.