Bommai to visit Delhi to meet Nadda, also top advocate on Maha border dispute

PTI, Nov 28, 2022, 11:45 AM IST

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said he will be visiting New Delhi to meet BJP national President J P Nadda, and also will have discussions with a senior advocate in the Supreme Court regarding the legal battle with Maharashtra over the border dispute.

The Chief Minister is expected to travel to the national capital on Tuesday.

The meeting with Nadda, gains significance, as he had recently indicated that the much awaited expansion or reshuffle of his Cabinet is likely after the Gujarat Assembly polls.

”I’m going to Delhi, where I expect to meet Nadda, I’m yet to get his appointment, I’m hopeful of getting it,” Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, he will also have a meeting with senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi regarding the border issue, and will also be meeting Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

Bommai has been under intense pressure for some time now, over the expansion and rejig of the Cabinet not taking place, to make way for the fresh faces, ahead of the Assembly elections next year.

There have been some reports of possible cabinet expansion by filling in six vacant posts or a kind of a rejig by dropping a few and inducting an equal number of new faces.

There were also talks in some quarters that a Gujarat-like complete top to bottom overhaul of the state ministry may take place. However, many aspirants feel it is ”too late now” with polls fast approaching.

Meanwhile, as the state is all set for a legal battle with neighbouring Maharashtra over the border dispute, the Chief Minister will be meeting senior advocate Rohatgi during the visit, to discuss it.

Bommai on Sunday had chaired a meeting with senior advocates and officials here in the wake of the case coming up before the Supreme Court for hearing on November 30.

Reacting to a question on Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah accusing the BJP of ”distorting” the Constitution, Bommai said, ”It is the Congress which did it, during the emergency by curtailing individual freedom and sending everyone to jail. We need not learn from them.”