DVS adds 5 new ministers, keeps Reddy brothers out

www.mangaloretoday.com

Bangalore, Aug 11, 2011: Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda expanded his ministry on Thursday, keeping out the mining magnates Reddy brothers and their close associate B Sreeramulu.

Raju Gowda, C P Yogeshwar, Anand Asnotikar, Balachandra Jarkiholi and independent MLA Varthur Prakash were sworn-in by Governor H R Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan.

Karunakara Reddy, Janardhana Reddy and Sreeramulu failed to make a come back to the ministry despite hectic lobbying. The three were ministers in BJP’s first government in the South, headed by B S Yeddyurappa.

This is the second ministry expansion Gowda carried out after he inducted 21 ministers on August 8 in a hurried exercise. Even after today’s expansion, the ministry will have seven vacancies.

Gowda took oath as Chief Minister on August 4 following axing of B S Yeddyurappa by the party high command after a Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicted him.

Even as there are many ministerial berth aspirants within BJP, the party high command has chosen to accommodate Varthur Prakash, who has been supporting the government in tune with the promise held out to him earlier. Sringeri MLA D N Jeevaraj, who recently quit as Government Chief Whip with hopes of joining the ministry, was left disappointed. 

Courtesy: Deccan Herald