Bommai to Delhi but no talks on rejig

Shyam Sundar Vattam/NT

A week before the presentation of his maiden budget, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be visiting New Delhi for two days next week.

The CM, who also holds the finance portfolio, has already announced that the state budget 2022-23 would be presented on March 4. According to the itinerary, Bommai is scheduled to leave Bengaluru on February 26 and is expected to return the next day. Since he would be presenting the budget for the first time, Bommai is planning to meet BJP bigwigs including National President J.P.Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman.

Sources close to the CM told News Trail that Bommai also wants to brief Delhi leaders about recent developments in Karnataka such as the hijabsaffron shawl row, the comments of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister K.S.Eshwarappa on the national tri-colour and the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist in Shivamogga which resulted in violence causing damage to public and private property. Already, Nadda had expressed his unhappiness over Eshwarappa’s statement on hoisting the saffron flag atop Red Fort in Delhi which triggered protest by the opposition Congress leaders to the disruption of proceedings in the state Assembly and Council and the cur tailment of the session by four days without a fullfledged discussion on the governor’s address on February 14.

The sources said a number of ministerial aspirant legislators came to the CM’s R.T.Nagar residence to impress upon him to induct them into the Council of Ministers. They included M.P.Renukacharya, S.A.Ramdas, Chowdareddy and Mahesh Kumatalli. Bommai has already clarified that he did not have any say in Cabinet expansion or reshuffle as it was the prerogative of the high command to decide on induction of new faces and dropping of old faces. A few days ago, Nadda had asked Karnataka MLAs / MLCs not to come to Bengaluru since party leaders were busy in the Assembly elections in five states. Despite this diktat, a number of lawmakers had camped at Karnataka Bhavan to meet union ministers from Karnataka to take up their cases with the decision makers.

No reshuffle till Budget session
The sources pointed out that Bommai’s visit to Delhi next week had nothing to do with seeking permission for the Cabinet expansion or reshuffle but only to keep them informed about the maiden budget to be presented by him in the Legislature on March 4.

Till the announcement of the Assembly polls result, the high command would not give permission for such an exercise. said sources.