Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday inducted two independent MLAs to his Cabinet in a move to douse the rebellion which has threatened the year old JD(S) –Congress collation Government in the State. AR Shankar and H Nagesh were sworn in as cabinet-rank Ministers by Governor Vajubhai Vala who administered them the oath of office and secrecy at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan. These two independent MLAs had threatened to join BJP and Kumaraswamy’s move is politically seen as to stop them from joining BJP which has 104 MLAs in its kitty.

The MLAs were inducted, one each from the JD(S) and Congress quota. Shankar has reportedly been asked to merge his outfit Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP) with the Congress Party immediately. Former Chief Minister and chairman of coordination committee of the coalition Government Siddaramaiah was man behind this move to save the coalition Government led by HD Kumaraswamy.

This is the second cabinet expansion since the two parties stitched up an alliance to form the Government after a fractured mandate in the Legislative Assembly election held last year.

Shankar was a Minister in June 2018, during the initial days of the Government. He was dropped months later in December for refusing to become an associate member of the Congress. Following this, he was seen in the BJP and is now back with the Congress.

When Shankar was moving towards the BJP, he had written to the Governor withdrawing support to the Government. Since the BJP was unable to form the Government, both Shankar and Nagesh once again supported the coalition.

Shankar had defeated former Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad of the Congress from the Ranebennur constituency. Nagesh, meanwhile, is a former Congress member from Mulbagal constituency. He was a member of the Congress party and also an aspirant for the ticket from the seat. However, the Congress decided to give the ticket to MLA G Manjunath. He was, however, defeated in the recent polls.

Post Lok Sabha drubbing by the BJP, both Congress and the JD(S) are struggling to keep their flock together and the  sword of un certainty is  hanging on them threatening  the  very existence of the Government. In the Lok Sabha elections both JD(S) and Congress lost miserably to the Modi wave and won just one seat each in the 28 parliamentary constituencies. BJP won 25 and a BJP supported independent  candidate Sumalatha from Mandya won to create history in the state. The expansion, earlier scheduled on June 12, was postponed owing to the three-day state mourning following the death of actor and writer Girish Karnad on Monday.

As anticipated the coalition Government opted to induct the two independents instead of several disgruntled elements from with the parties to ensure the BJP is unable to increase its numbers in the lower house of the State legislature and challenge the ruling alliance which has a slender majority. The induction of the two independents will take the total strength of the coalition to 119, including the speaker, in the 224-seat lower house compared with the BJP’s 105. The absence of many leaders from Congress and the JD(S) were conspicuous and led to further political debate. 

According to BJP insiders they are  not in a hurry to destabilise the Government and expecting to fall on its own.