Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai sought to put the onus of preparing the ground for appointments to boards and corporations on the party organisation.
“The appointments to boards and corporations would depend on discussions by the BJP organisation,” the Chief Minister told reporters in Bengaluru on January 24 while responding to the statement of BJP State president Nalin Kumar Kateel that appointments would be made next week. He said the party would submit a report in this regard, based on the outcome of its discussions.
The Chief Minister’s statement is being seen as an effort to send a message to aspirants that it is the party which will take care of such issues. This is in contrast with the functioning style of his predecessor B.S. Yediyurappa, who had been accused of making unilateral appointments to boards and corporations without consulting the party towards the fag end of his chief ministerial tenure.
Party circles are also seeing this as a clever move as aspirants would not blame the Chief Minister for the delay.
Responding to a query on some of the ministerial aspirants publicly demanding early ministerial expansion, the Chief Minister said it is natural to make such a demand as there were four ministerial vacancies. He had brought the issue to the notice of the party high command. While the central leaders had a clear idea on the nature of expansion process, he would share further details with them when they would call him for consultations in this regard, he said.
Mr. Bommai claimed that he was not aware of a secret meeting among BJP leaders of Belagavi district at the residence of Minister Umesh Katti. Making it clear that he had already begun preparations with respect to the State budget, the Chief Minister, who holds the finance portfolio, said a set of instructions had been given to some of the departments in December regarding the measures to be taken to achieve targeted revenue collection. However, another round of meetings would be held with the finance department on January 25 to take stock of the revenue collection scenario as Karnataka has been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic since December-end, he said.
Book on Bommai government
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who completes six months in office on January 28, has said that a book comprising the achievements of his government would be brought out to mark the occasion. He told reporters in Bengaluru on January 24 that details regarding his plans for the remaining term of the government would be made known soon.
