B. ARAVINDA SHETTY

Bengaluru: With the induction of four new faces into Modi Cabinet from Karnataka, the BJP central leadership has sent a clear message to its cadre that workaholic young leaders will have a future in the party. 

Modi and Amit Shah have picked Udupi-Chikamagalur MP, Shoba Karandlaje, Rajya Sabha member, Rajiv Chandrashekar, Chitradurga MP, A.Narayanswamy and Bidar MP Bhagwanth Kubha in the Union Cabinet. 

In fact, all four faces were surprise selections of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Interestingly, the central leadership has not given a chance to BSY loyalists MPs in the Cabinet. 

Probable contenders, Shivakumar Udasi, P.C. Gaddigouder, B.Y. Raghavendra, Umesh Jadav, are considered as loyalists of the Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa. But central leadership did not consider heavy-weight lingyat MPs; instead, it has picked low profile party worker, Bidar MP, Bhagawant Khuba, to the Cabinet who belongs to Lingayat community. Considering his educational qualification, Mr. Modi has inducted him to the Cabinet. Khuba is an Engineering graduate. 

Read: Non-performance costs Sadananda Gowda’s post

Party Vokkaliga leader and Udupi- Chikamagaluru MP, Shoba Karandlaje, has replaced another Vokkaliga leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda. Mr. Gowda was resigned to the Cabinet following his non-performance. 

Induction of Shobha to the Cabinet also a smart political move of the party central leadership. Her relationship with chief minister B.S.Yediyurappa has been strained, and she distanced herself from Karnataka politics. With an intention to strengthen the party base in Vokkaliga dominated region of South Karnataka, the party has picked her to the Union Cabinet. 

Read: Shobha ends her self-imposed political exile

Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Chandrashekar was inducted into the Cabinet because for his authority in the telecom sector and Information technology. Modi would appoint him as the new Information Technology minister or Telecom Minister. Since IT Minister Ravishankar Prasad resigned to the Cabinet, Mr.Rajiv Chandrashekar would be appointed as the new minister for Information Technology, sources said in state bjp.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Scheduled Cast, mainly SC left sub-sect, has supported the BJP. Moreover, SC left sect has been supporting the BJP since decade. Modi has inducted Chitradurga MP and party SC face A. Narayanaswamy, into the Cabinet to safeguard its SC vote bank in the state. Mr. Swamy identified with RSS, being with BJP since 1998. He was the Social Welfare Minister in the Yediyurappa cabinet. Before electing from the Chitradurga Lok Sabha constituency, he represented the Anekal Assembly constituency for the third time and one time MLC.  

Read: Cabinet Reshuffle: Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Karandlaje, Narayana Swamy, Khuba inducted

Keeping into consideration of 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, BJP has given representation to all communities and regions. 

This time representation has been given to Vokkaliga (Shobha Karandlaje), Lingayat (Bhagawant Khuba) SC ( Narayanaswamy). Already Pralhad Joshi, Nirmala Sitharaman ( Brahmin) are ministers in the Modi cabinet.