Bommai hints at ‘cabinet rejig, expansion' after Nadda’s visit to Karnataka

A day after BJP national president JP Nadda addressed ruling party workers in Karnataka, sounding the poll bugle for the 2023 assembly elections, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the party high command will soon decide about the cabinet expansion or reshuffle.

"JP Nadda ji has stated that a meeting will be held in New Delhi. The party high command will decide about cabinet expansion or reshuffle," news agency ANI quoted Bommai as saying.

Bommai, who had met Nadda in the national capital on April 6 and claimed to have “briefly” discussed cabinet reshuffle on Friday, hinted about discussing the matter on the sidelines of the executive meeting. The development comes amid KS Eshwarappa’s exit from the state cabinet over corruption charges and an FIR filed against him in contractor Santosh Patil’s suicide case.

On Sunday, terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership as a great strength for the BJP, Bommai said the party would seek a positive mandate from farmers, women and weaker sections for the good governance provided by the state government.

"Let us march ahead under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his welfare programmes. Let us march together, victory will be ours," he said.

"We will go to the people with our performance report card and win the hearts of the people. Let us make Lotus bloom in the hearts of the people," ANI quoted him as saying.

He also launched a scathing attack on the Congress and said the grand old party had no moral right to talk about corruption.

"The earlier Congress government at the Centre had attained notoriety by perpetrating 2G, 3G, defence and coal scams. The Congress government compromised with even the security of the country by indulging in scams in defence purchases too," Bommai said.

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Nadda, addressing the party workers at the state executive committee meeting in Hosapete on Sunday, gave a clarion call to ensure that the country moves forward.

“We are strongly pursuing our ‘Mission Repeat’. We are marching with the Mantra of ‘Nation First. Party Next and Self Last,'” news agency PTI quoted Nadda as saying.

“You have to work with the motto: ‘We are all dedicated and devoted with our mission to see that India goes forward and we are also ready to see that the party and I become the instrument of change," the BJP chief said.

With an eye on the assembly polls in Karnataka just a year away, Nadda asked party leaders and workers to reach out to the masses and create awareness about the good work done by the BJP led government at the Centre as well as in the state.