Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will go to New Delhi on February 7 to hold discussions with the central leadership of the BJP on various issues, including reshuffle/expansion of the State Cabinet.
Speaking to mediapersons on February 2, Mr. Bommai confirmed his trip to the national capital and said it has been a practice to meet all the MPs from Karnataka before the State budget. When asked about the possibility of a Cabinet revamp, he said, “I will not discuss that issue in public.”
Part of tradition
He said it was part of a tradition for the Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, to meet MPs from Karnataka before presenting the State budget. The Chief Minister will present his first budget in March.
Mr. Bommai said he would also meet lawyers representing Karnataka in inter-State water disputes. Cases related to inter-State river disputes, involving Karnataka, are pending before the Supreme Court.
Change of plans
Earlier on February 2, the Chief Minister had said he would visit Delhi on February 3. But later at the BJP office in Bengaluru, Mr. Bommai said he would visit Delhi only on February 7.
Sources said non-availability of Central leaders of the party on February 3 for discussions on Cabinet reshuffle/expansion forced the Chief Minister to postpone his trip to Delhi to February 7.
The State Cabinet has four vacancies against a full strength of 34 ministers. Several legislators have been aspiring for Cabinet berths, as the last opportunity before elections to the State Assembly in 2023. Pressure has been building on Mr. Bommai to take up expansion at the earliest.
Mr. Bommai said, “I will start pre-budget preparations on February 7”, including department-wise meetings. The State-wise allocations made by the Centre would be released in two days, he said.
The size of the state budget would be decided on the basis of loans and grants provided in the Union budget. “Once it is available, we will assess which schemes have been retained, which are the new schemes and what is the ratio of funds (of State and Centre) for these schemes. Based on this, along with grants in aid and loans provided by the Centre, we will have to decide our budget,” Mr. Bommai said.
Karnataka was expecting additional allocation of capital outlay of ₹3,000 crore from the Centre in 2022-23.
