Karnataka BJP to decide who is in, who is out

BANGALORE: Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and the state BJP leadership began the exercise pertaining to the long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle by holding consultations at the former's private residence in Dollars Colony on Saturday. "Nothing has been decided yet. Perhaps, we will be able to come to some conclusion and finalise the list by Sunday evening," Yeddyurappa and state unit president KS Eshwarappa told reporters after the 150-minute meeting.That the consultation would run into rough weather on Sunday could be made out from the seemingly contradictory statements made separately by Eshwarappa and Yeddyurappa. While the former said some ministers could be dropped from the Cabinet in order to bring in new faces, the CM said that no discussion had taken place to that effect. Sources told Express that Yeddyurappa is keen only to fill up three vacant slots by inducting Shobha Karandlaje (Vokkaliga), V Somanna (Lingayat) and CH Vijayashankar (Kuruba) and not to go for a major surgery due to the sensitivities involved. However, another section is insisting that it is high time the ministry undergoes a major and drastic change, to give new fillip and dynamism to the government.In the event of undertaking a major surgery, those who are likely to be dropped include Shivanagouda Naik, Mumtaz Ali Khan and Sudhakar, while those who are likely to be inducted include A Narayanaswamy (SC), Jeevaraj or CT Ravi (Vokkaliga), Appu Pattan Shetty or SK Bellubbi (Lingayat).If all goes well, then the reshuffle could take place on Monday or Tuesday. But many would be reluctant to take oath on Tuesday and would prefer Monday. Moreover, the inauspicious "pithru paksha" is to commence from September 23, during which no auspicious programmes are held. "We will decide the date tomorrow," Yeddyurappa said.Yeddyurappa also told a delegation of BJP corporators from Davanagere that there is no proposal before him to drop Agriculture Minister SA Ravindranath from the Cabinet. About 32 party activists including 21 elected members led by mayor Vasanth Kumar and deputy mayor Pushpa Durgesh called on him at the venue of the meeting and urged him not to drop Ravindranath. M Venkaiah Naidu and MP DV Sadananda Gowda were present.