Karnataka: 10 defectors who helped BJP gain power rewarded with Cabinet berth

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday rewarded with Cabinet berth 10 defectors, who helped the BJP bring down the Congress-JD(S) coalition and come to power.

The Cabinet expansion led to dissatisfaction among a section of "native" BJP leaders who were left out of the exercise as the party sought to contain dissidence in the face of intense lobbying for berths by several contenders.

The then disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs who had shifted loyalty to the BJP and won the December by-elections, were sworn-in at a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan with the Governor Vajubhai Vala administering oath of office and secrecy.

The 10 are: S T Somashekar (Yeshwantpur constituency), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Anand Singh (Vijayanagar), KSudhakar (Chikkaballapur), Byrathi Basavaraj (K R Puram), AShivaram Hebbar (Yellapur), B C Patil (Hirekerur), K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout), K C Narayana Gowda (K R Pet) andShrimant Balasaheb Patil (Kagwad). Thursday's much-awaited expansion takes the strength of the Cabinet to 28, with six vacancies now.

In the first expansion last August, 17 ministers were inducted.

(Image from indiatoday.in)