The second round of the Cabinet expansion has been put off in view of pressure tactics by the Reddy brothers to get their supporters, particularly former health minister B. Sreeramulu, into the ministry.
Though chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda had contemplated induction of nine members into the Cabinet, the swearing-in ceremony originally scheduled for Thursday will be held next week as former tourism minister G. Janardhan Reddy mounted pressure on party president Nitin Gadkari and other senior leaders in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Mr Reddy not only convinced Mr Gowda to put off the next round of induction, but even had Mr Gadkari accept an invitation to visit Bellary on Friday to attend the Varamahalakshmi pooja and annual mass marriages conducted on that day, that Leader of the Opposition Ms Sushma Swaraj regularly attended but opted out of this year.
Mr Gowda and former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who stymied Mr Janardhan Reddy’s re-entry, will attend the pooja in Bellary along with Mr Gadkari. Sources in BJP said Mr Janardhan Reddy lobbied hard in favour of his elder sibling and former revenue minister G. Karunakar Reddy and diehard supporter and former health minister B. Sreeramulu during his discussions with leaders in Delhi. He reportedly asked the leaders how Mr Karunakar Reddy and Mr Sreeramulu could be left out while V. Somanna was accommodated in the ministry on Monday.
It was on this point that Mr Janardhan Reddy walked out on Mr Yeddyurappa hours before the swearing-in ceremony. Sources said differences had also surfaced in rival factions over two aspirants from Chikmagalur district-former chief whip D.N. Jeevaraj and general secretary C.T. Ravi.