Shettar haggles hard to get his men into cabinet

In ongoing negotiations between chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and rebels within the party, Speaker Jagadish Shettar has agreed to quit his post. He is likely to be inducted into the state cabinet. Shettar has been insisting on representation for his loyalists in the ministry, thus delaying a settlement. Yeddyurappa and BJP national general secretary Ananth Kumar met Shettar on Thursday to convince him to join the ministry without delay.

Yeddyurappa said that the party high command would decide on Shettar’s portfolio. Sources in the party indicate that he is likely to get either the public works department (PWD) portfolio currently held by CM Udasi, or the water resources one held by Basavaraj Bommai. Shettar has reportedly insisted that Bommai and medium and large industries minister Murugesh Nirani be dropped from the ministry as a condition for his joining — a demand that Yeddyurappa is reluctant to grant.

Sources indicate that Shettar’s loyalists CT Ravi, Bellubbi and Narayanaswamy are likely to find ministerial berths. Party MLC Vimala Gowda is likely to replace Shobha Karandlaje as the lone woman in the cabinet.

The chief minister said that a BJP legislature party meeting would be held in Bangalore on November 18. The party’s national president, Rajnath Singh, and senior leader Sushma Swaraj are likely to attend this meeting, which is expected to see the setting up of a core committee to take important governance decisions in the state.