Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday that a final decision on cabinet expansion will be taken only after his visit to New Delhi."The High command has to give directions on my visit and it will be decided in New Delhi itself whether there would be cabinet reshuffle or just cabinet expansion in the state," he said.Speaking to reporters Bommai said that the matter of cabinet expansion has been discussed with party President J.P. Nadda already. He had assured that he would inform after conducting a meeting in this regard.The statement of Bommai proved to be a dampener for cabinet berth aspirants who expected the cabinet expansion to take place immediately after Ugadi festival (April 2).
With the resignation of K.S. Eshwarappa, five posts in the cabinet are now vacant. Since, the elections are fast approaching (2023), the party is treading cautiously with regard to expansion.Talking about the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) recruitment scandal, Bommai clarified that there are demands for re-examination. "But, we will take a call on it only after the CID investigation report comes," he said."Once the allegation surfaced, state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had handed over the investigation to CID. The step was taken to ensure an unbiased probe. The directions have been given for comprehensive investigation and no one will be spared," he said.