If outgoing Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had his way, six ministers would have joined the new Cabinet but the rival camp, led by Jagadish Shettar, reportedly said “thanks, but no, thanks” to the offer on Thursday, hours before new chief minister Sadananda Gowda was sworn in as the state’s 26th chief minister at a crowded function at Raj Bhavan as the lone member of his Cabinet.
Sources said Mr Yeddyurappa told his successor D.V. Sadananda Gowda to reward his diehard supporters Shobha Karandlaje, V.S. Acharya and Basavaraj Bommai not only with positions in the Cabinet but with the plum portfolios of home, finance and revenue. Mr Gowda was told that he could balance the team by inducting Mr Shettar and two of his followers.
The plan, however, failed though Mr Gowda offered to bring in three people — Mr Shettar himself, Mr R. Ashok and Mr Karjol — from the Shettar camp alongside his own supporters when he spoke at length to Mr Shettar during a surprise visit to the latter’s residence hours before the swearing in ceremony.
In a move that Mr Gowda’s supporters are hoping is a bargaining ploy and not the first step towards a formal split, Mr Shettar politely thanked Mr Gowda for the invitation and made it clear he had not changed his mind about the boycott.
After Mr Gowda left, Mr Shettar and Mr Ashok left for party president Mr Eshwarappa’s residence. After holding consultations with him for over two hours, the two leaders declared that their faction would not be attending the swearing in ceremony.
Sources said that their plans to fly to Delhi to seek the Central leaders’ intervention had been dropped.