Karnataka CM to visit Delhi, sparks plans of cabinet rejig before 2023 election

Karnataka CM Bommai will be visit Delhi next week for the oath-taking ceremony of the new President of India and confirmed that cabinet expansion talks will be on the agenda if issue is raised.

Published on: Jul 21, 2022, 16:47:51 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Chandrashekar Srinivasan

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Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai will visit Delhi Monday and Tuesday next week attend the oath-taking ceremony of the new president of India - which will likely be the BJP's nominee Droupadi Murmu, who has a sizeable lead over the opposition front candidate Yashwant Sinha in vote-counting Thursday afternoon.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai. (PTI Image)

Bommai was last in Delhi at the end of June to back Murmu as she filed her nomination papers. On that occasion he dismissed rumours of cabinet expansion or talks of rejigging the BJP goverment in the state, particularly with assembly elections due next year.

Bommai’s Delhi trips often spark such speculations.

Read: K'taka CM in Delhi for Murmu nomination, says no plan to discuss cabinet rejig

This time, though, Bommai has said he might, in fact, hold talks with the party's senior leadership about his cabinet's expansion if the issue is raised.

Bommai was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, "I am leaving for New Delhi with delegations of various departments to attend oath-taking ceremony of new President of India on July 25. I will also discuss cabinet expansion if the party's top brass raises the issue."

There are currently five positions vacant in Bommai's cabinet, which has 29 ministers, including himself, against the sanctioned strength of 34. The chief minister is under pressure from some aspirants to expand at the earliest.

Read: Bommai’s Delhi visit triggers fresh speculations on Cabinet rejig

(With Inputs from agencies)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More