The expansion of the H.D. Kumaraswamy ministry, slated for Wednesday, has again been put off following the small rebellion that has broken out in the BJP over deputy chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa's insistence on the inclusion of first-time MLC Shobha Karandlaje.
Although there are elected women MLAs (like Shakuntala Shetty of Puttur) and more experienced women MLCs (like Vimala Gowda), Yediyurappa will have nothing of it. With the party already having come under fire for ignoring elected MLAs in favour of MLCs when the ministry was first formed, the latest trouble is far from good news.
An influential section of the party, comprising former State unit presidents and current ministers K.S. Eswarappa and Jagadish Shettar, and health minister R. Ashok—who owe allegiance to H.N. Ananth Kumar—are said to be at daggers drawn with Yediyurappa over the inclusion of nine of his supporters in the cabinet.
Questions: Will the Shobha Karandlaje issue once again revive factionalism in the BJP? Could it result in a split in the party as it very nearly did in early 2005? Or will the BJP topbrass step in and succeed in averting any such possibility? And should MLCs, first time or otherwise, get preference over MLAs in ministries?
churumuri 
Can we have just 10% subjects on Politics. At present Churumuri is becoming more a politicalal mirror with more than 70% news on politics. Good to see. Nice to read. but lets leave it to other ‘ordinary’ websites!
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To talk of a BJP split is premature. But such happenings within what was considered to be a “disciplined party” leave a sour taste in the mouths of voters.
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If a Rajya Sabha member can be a Prime Minister, when there are 544 MPs, why cannot an MLC be a minister over an MLA. The criminalisation of our politics, along with the use of unbridled money and muscle power, is making it more and more difficult for good people to get into the “house of the people”. Therefore, in the long run, we may have to fall back on the upper house to supply us the good apples if urgent correctives are not applied.
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The BJP will suffer from factionalism again. The coalition won’t last 20 months, forget 40, at this rate.
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Eshwarappa actually does not belong to Ananthkumar Camp. He is basically Yediyurappa man. However, Yeddy’s demand is so outrageous that even Eshwarappa is opposing it.
However there will not be any problem with the govt for 20 months as nobody wants to ruin their chance of making money.
However, at the end of 20 months, Yeddi may not become CM as JDS may pull out and go for fresh polls or they may demand that Kumaraswamy should continue as CM and BJP may agree for that just to save their seats
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