Days after Rajinikanth opted out of politics citing his health, his team has said members of his Rajini Makkal Mandram are free to resign and join other parties. The statement comes after some district chiefs of the megastar's outfit joined DMK. The assertion was read by many as a sign that the BJP can no longer count on Rajinikanth's support, tacitly or otherwise, in the Tamil Nadu election due by May. Some in the BJP, which has an alliance with the state's ruling AIADMK, had hoped the superstar would support the party even after bowing out of active politics. Rajinikanth, 70, on the brink of launching his political party, announced last month that he would not join politics after all.
Karnataka CM inducts 7 ministers into his cabinet
Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa last week inducted seven ministers into his cabinet, including two defectors. After nightlong suspense over the names, the new entrants to the 17-month-old cabinet are MLAs Umesh V Katti (Hukkeri), Arvind Limbavali (Mahadevapura), S Angara (Sullia) and Murugesh Nirani (Bilgi); and MLCs R Shankar, MTB Nagaraj and CP Yogeshwar. Resentment erupted after Yediyurappa announced the names of seven ministers earlier in the day. A dozen miffed party legislators expressed severe reservations about MLCs being made ministers, lack of representation to some regions and “seniority or sacrifice” being disregarded. Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office to the ministers at a simple ceremony with limited guests, owing to Covid-19 protocol in place.
