Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 21: In view of forthcoming election to legislative council that has been scheduled for October 3, the coalition government's ministry expansion has been put off again to October first week.

The election commission has announced holding of elections to fill vacancies created by election of former MLCs, K S Eshwarappa, V Soomanna, and Dr Gl Parameshwar as MLAs, on October 3. The government accordingly postponed the much-expected ministry expansion programme again.

There are seven vacancies in the ministry and Congress high command has decided to fill six. M B Patil, Parameshwar Naik, Sudhakar, M T B Nagaraj, C S Shivalli, S T Somashekhar, Roshan Baig, B C Patil, Haris, E Tukaram, Nagendra, Bheema Naik and several others are aspiring to become members of the state ministry.

Names of candidates have already been finalized by the parties to fight election for three seats in the council. The government has to nominate three more people to the legislative council.

Those who are eager to become ministers are losing patience as ministry expansion is getting postponed time and again. A section of the aspirants is learnt to be pressurizing Congress high command to ensure that the ministry expansion happens immediately after the council election irrespective of the situation prevailing then.