Bowing to pressure from dissidents, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday inducted rebel MLA M P Renukacharya in his ministry.
With his induction as a cabinet minister, the strength of the ministry has risen to 34.
This is for the second time in two months that the Yeddyurappa ministry has been expanded under pressure from dissidents. Last month Jagadish Shettar, who had emerged as the rallying point for the rebels, was inducted in the ministry after he quit the post of assembly Speaker.
Renukacharya was sworn in by Governor H R Bhardwaj at the Raj Bhavan in Bangalore at a brief function attended by Yeddyurappa and some of his ministerial colleagues.
The induction of Renukacharya, who represents Honnali assembly constituency in Davanagere district, evoked protests from a section of ruling BJP legislators, but Yeddyurappa ignored them.