Bommai's cabinet to have 26 new ministers; oath-taking ceremony at 5 pm today

New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is all set to appoint 26 new ministers for his state cabinet on Wednesday. Bommai has reportedly got approval from BJP high command in Delhi for cabinet formation, sources said. The swearing-in ceremony of the new council of ministers is set to take place at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru at 5 pm on Wednesday.

The CM was in Delhi the past couple of days to hold consultations with the BJP central leadership on the expansion of his cabinet.

"Decisions are yet to be taken on two or three issues. They will be taken in the morning. I am going to get 'good' news. If I get it on Wednesday early morning hours, a swearing-in ceremony will be held by noon or evening on the same day," Bommai said late Tuesday night.

All aspects including regional, social justice and also requests of those of my friends who have come here have been considered, he said.

He ruled out the possibility of dropping seniors from the cabinet. The list will be finalised keeping the next elections and delivering good administration in mind.

"We need experience as well as enthusiasm. I am expecting the cabinet expansion to take place in two phases. The inclusion and exclusion of names is the prerogative of the high command. I am cool and used to the pulls and pressures of cabinet formation. I am returning to Bengaluru on an early morning flight," he explained.

Sources said that the high command has approved the list of 20 to 24 ministers and there will be no deputy chief minister post this time.

Sources also said that the high command is considering a cabinet berth to former Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa's son B.Y. Vijayendra. However, they are yet to take a call on the chief minister aspirants -- former speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri and BJP MLA Aravind Bellad.

It is said that former Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karajol, Dr C.N. Ashwathnarayan, former ministers Sriramulu, Aravind Limbavali, K.S. Eshwarappa, V. Somanna, Murugesh Nirani, R. Ashok, Anand Singh, Dr K. Sudhakar, J.C. Madhuswamy, S.T. Somashekar, MTB Nagaraj, K. Gopalaiah, Bhyrathi Basavaraju, B.C. Patil, Narayana Gowda, C.P. Yogeshwar, Bhyrathi Basavaraju, Shivaram Hebbar, senior leaders V. Sunilkumar, K. Poornima, S. Angara, Abhay Patil, Raju Gowda, P. Rajeev, Dattatreya Patil Revur, M.P. Kumaraswamy are likely to make it to the cabinet.