Five more inducted in Gowda ministry in Karnataka (Lead)
August 11th, 2011 - 8:21 pm ICT by IANS
Bangalore, Aug 11 (IANS) Five more ministers were inducted in the D.V. Sadananda Gowda ministry Thursday, taking the strength of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) second government in Karnataka to 27.
The five lawmakers — Balachandra Jarkiholi, Anand Asnotikar, Raju Gowda, C.P. Yogeshwar and Varthur Prakash — were sworn-in by state governor H.R. Bhardwaj at a simple ceremony in Raj Bhavan here. They took the oath of office and secrecy in Kannada.
Barring Prakash, who is an Independent, the remaining four ministers are from the ruling party.
After Gowda took oath Aug 4, he expanded the cabinet by inducting 21 ministers Aug 8. As he can have a 34-member ministry, seven more berths remain to be filled.
Gowda decided to expand the cabinet for the second time at a short notice after the party high command cleared the names of the five legislators during his three-day visit to New Delhi from Aug 9,
Though Gowda advised the 21 ministers to retain the portfolios they held in the previous B.S. Yeddyurappa government, the new ministers will be allotted portfolios in a day or two.
As Gowda reiterated in Delhi Wednesday, the Reddy brothers - G. Karnunakara and G. Janardhana - were kept out of the cabinet following their indictment by the state Lokayukta (ombudsman) July 27 in the multi-crore mining scam in the state.
Incidentally, Asnotikar and Jarkiholi were sacked from the Yeddyurappa government and disqualified by Assembly Speaker K.G. Bopaiah Oct 8, 2010 for revolting against the former chief minister.
The Supreme Court, however, revoked their disqualification in May along with 14 other lawmakers, including nine from the ruling party and five Independents.
Yeddyurappa resigned as the BJP’s first chief minister in south India July 31 after being in power for 38 months following his indictment by the ombudsman in the mining scam.
In a related development, party legislator B.P. Harish urged Gowda to drop Housing Minister V. Somanna from the cabinet as he too was indicted in the mining scam.
“Though I am not aspiring for any ministerial berth, Somanna’s induction into the ministry is giving the government and the party a bad name,” Harish told reporters here.
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- Karnataka gets cabinet; ex-minister jailed, Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy summoned (Night Lead) - Aug 08, 2011
- Row holds up full Karnataka ministry formation, 21 join (Lead) - Aug 08, 2011
- Karnataka speaker accepts Reddy supporter's resignation - Oct 14, 2011
- No Reddys in Karnataka ministry: Gowda - Aug 10, 2011
- Yeddyurappa to seek trust vote Oct 11 to save government (Roundup) - Oct 06, 2010
- Gowda not to take Reddy brothers into his ministry - Aug 24, 2011
- An eventful Wednesday for Karnataka - Aug 03, 2011
- Gowda to be chief minister Thursday, Yeddyurappa faces trial - Aug 03, 2011
- Sushma gives wealth goddess festival a miss - Aug 12, 2011
- Gowda becomes Karantaka chief minister, opponents boycott ceremony (Night Lead) - Aug 04, 2011
- Karnataka government faces crisis, 19 lawmakers revolt (Second Lead) - Oct 06, 2010
- Sushma's conspicuous absence at Reddy function (Lead) - Aug 12, 2011
- Criminal involvement of Yeddyurappa in mining scam: Santosh Hegde (Interview) - Jul 24, 2011
Tags: anand, assembly speaker, berths, bharatiya janata party, bhardwaj, chief minister, crore, harish, housing minister, indictment, member ministry, new ministers, oath of office, prakash, raju, related development, ruling party, south india, state governor, yogeshwar