Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 29: Those MLAs who resigned their seats, got elected on BJP ticket and are patiently waiting to be absorbed into the ministry, have been told by chief minister (CM), B S Yediyurappa, that they would be sworn in January 31. However, this plan will go ahead subject to the approval of newly elected national president of the party J P Nadda. Yediyurappa is scheduled meet Nadda on January 30 to discuss the matter.

Yediyurappa is eager to keep up the promise of offering ministerial spots to all the 11 persons who defected to the party and won the bypoll. But, the high command, which is under pressure from aspirants who have been with the BJP since the beginning, have proposed to cut down the size to seven or maximum nine. Yediyurappa will hold discussions will Nadda and former BJP president and union home minster, Amit Shah, is also expected to take part in discussions.

B S Yediyurappa

The ministerial aspirants have been saying that they were promised berths in the ministry even if they were defeated. But sources in the BJP say that only nine seats were committed to them, although Yediyyurappa is interested to include all the 11 winning MLAs into his ministry. It is said that Ramesh Jarkiholi was even offered the post of deputy chief minister if he was able to bring in more legislators. In all likelihood, if the number is limited to nine, Mahesh Kumathalli and Shrimant Patil, both Jarkiholi loyalists, may be left out. It is said that they were not promised of being made ministers.

Other willing candidates, Byrathi Basavaraj, Gopalaiah, Sudhakar, S T Somashekhar, Narayana Gowda, B C Patil and Anand Singh will be made ministers as per the current plan. The other MLA, Shivaram Hebbar, it is said, was not promised ministerial berth. The national leadership of the party wants Yediyurappa to assert his authority and try to limit the number of ministerial posts being offered to the one disqualified MLAs.

Sources within the aspirants said that the chief minister has not been pressurized for allocation of specific portfolios. At the same time, some original BJP activists like Arvind Limbavali, Sunil Kumar, Umesh Katti, Halady Srinivas Shetty and Murugesh Nirani are waiting to be made ministers. The party has made them to wait too long and is all set to yield to their desire to be part of the cabinet.