Six inducted into Karnataka ministry

BANGALORE - Six people were inducted into the Karnataka council of ministers Wednesday, a day after unprecedented public display of dissent by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators denied a cabinet berth.

Shobha Karandlage, the woman Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was forced to drop last year to save his chair and over which he sobbed publicly, returned to his cabinet. She will be the lone woman in the 34-member ministry.

The others sworn in at a noisy ceremony by Governor H.R. Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan, with supporters shouting and blowing whistles as names were called, were V. Somanna, C.H. Vijayashankar, S.A. Ramdas, A. Narayanaswamy and C.C. Patil.

Shobha, a confidante of Yeddyurappa, was forced to resign as part of the compromise formula to please the powerful mine owners and ministers, the Reddy brothers who had revolted against the chief minister in October-November last year.

She was targeted on grounds that she was interfering in the functioning of other ministers because of her perceived proximity to Yeddyurappa.

Yeddyurappa had sobbed in front of TV cameras for agreeing to drop her and also shunt out trusted officers as part of the compromise.

On Tuesday, Yeddyurappa dropped three ministers amid one threatening suicide and efforts by the Reddy brothers against the move.

Those shown the door were Goolihatti Shekar, sports and youth affairs, K. Shivanagouda Naik, mass education and public libraries, and Aravind Limbavali, high education.

With this axing there were six vacancies, all of which were filled Wednesday.

Three vacancies were created earlier following the resignation of ministers over various scandals.