Siddaramaiah gets Delhi nod to expand his Cabinet

Bengaluru: Ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, one of the few remaining Congress chief ministers in the country, has secured a long overdue nod from the party high command to expand his Cabinet - which has three vacancies - and set to rest speculation and dissatisfaction on this issue. 

What's important is the fact that he has ensured leaders loyal to him like MLCs H.M. Revanna and R.B. Timmapur and MLA, Shadakshari, are front-runners for the three berths while C.M. Ibrahim, his pal from the days in the Janata Parivar, may be rewarded with an MLC seat in the August 31 poll to the Upper House. 

Sources said the much awaited political exercise is likely to happen next week with the CM in New Delhi to give final touches to the expansion, which could be the last before the polls. On Thursday, Siddaramaiah met AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the final list of appointees will be sent to AICC president Sonia Gandhi for her approval. 

There has been pressure on the CM to fill the vacancies caused by the death of co-operation minister H.S. Mahadevprasad, resignation of Dr G Parameshwar as home minister and H.Y. Meti as excise minister.  Siddaramaiah has since then, been handling the two crucial portfolios of home and excise.

During the rejig, the home portfolio is likely to go to current forest minister B. Ramanath Rai, a senior Congressman. 

Sources said two rounds of talks have been held with Rai to make sure he accepts the post as the home portfolio brings with it a heavy responsibility considering the recent communal unrest in coastal Karnataka and his home district, Dakshina Kannada.  While Revanna belongs to the CM's Kuruba community, Timmapur is  a Scheduled Caste  leader and Shadakshari, from the Lingayat community. There was pressure from within the party to induct veteran politicians Dr A.M.Maalaka Reddy and Malikayya Guttedar since they belong to Hyderabad-Karnataka region. After Guttedar threatened to resign following the denial of a berth during the previous reshuffle, the CM made him chairman of KHB. If Guttedar manages to make it this time, Timmapur may have to sit out. There was pressure to reinduct H.Y.Meti, who was forced to resign as minister after being caught in a sex tape controversy, but the CM decided against it fearing it may tarnish the party's image ahead of polls though Meti has got a clean chit. The high command has reportedly instructed the CM to induct only non-controversial legislators, said sources.  As for C.M. Ibrahim. former Union minister, the Congress will have no problem in ensuring his victory in the MLC poll, necessitated due to the passing away of BJP MLC Vimala Gowda. Reports of Ibrahim's relationship with the CM getting strained and him planning to join JD(S), had done the rounds a few months ago. The CM is keen on completing the process before Ganesha festival so that legislators can return to their constituencies to strengthen the party.