Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar on Monday urged the Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership to induct controversial Reddy brothers into Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda's ministry.
"Reddy brothers must be inducted into the ministry as they have strived hard to build the BJP in the state," Shettar, who lost the chief ministership to Gowda in a secret ballot, said.
Karunakara Reddy and Janardhana Reddy, who were indicted along with former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa in the Lokayukta report on the illegal mining issue, have been kept out of the Gowda ministry till date.
Gowda, sworn-in as chief minister on August 4, has still kept seven ministerial berths vacant, keeping the hopes of many ministerial aspirants alive.
He had inducted 21 ministers in the first phase of cabinet expansion on August 8 and five more on August 11.
Asked what would be the next course of action if Reddy brothers were not inducted into the ministry, Shettar said, "Please wait and see ... a decision will be taken in this regard."
'K'taka crisis has put all of us to shame'
Anti-Yeddyurappa BJP men reach Delhi
Cong attacking bodies working for public: Joshi
Karnataka CM leaves for Delhi to save his seat
Adarsh never reserved for war heroes: Deshmukh