Karnataka CM to meet Modi in Delhi on Monday

Bengaluru, May 27 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday evening, an official said on Sunday.

"Kumaraswamy will meet Modi in the Prime Minister's Office. It's a courtesy call," an official told IANS here.

This will be Kumaraswamy's first meeting with Modi after becoming Chief Minister of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)-Congress coalition government on May 23.

"It is customary for the new Chief Minister of any state to call on the Prime Minister, soon after assuming office, in our federal set up," the Chief Minister told reporters at an event here.

Kumaraswamy, who will fly to Delhi on Monday morning, will visit Raj Ghat in the afternoon to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.

After meeting Modi, he will call on Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal to seek adequate coal supplies for the thermal stations in the southern state for power generation.

Asked if he would meet Congress' central leaders to discuss ministry expansion, Kumaraswamy said it was unlikely as he has to return to Bengaluru by Monday night.

"Talks on Cabinet expansion will resume here with state Congress leaders on their return from Delhi, with the names of their legislators to be inducted in the ministry," said Kumaraswamy after paying homage to Jawaharlal Nehru on his 54th death anniversary.

As per the agreement between the alliance partners, the Congress will have 22 Cabinet posts, including Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, as it has 78 legislators while the JD-S will keep 12, including the Chief Minister, as it has 36 lawmakers in the 222-member Assembly.

The JD-S will finalise its list of members for the Cabinet posts in consultation with its supremo H.D. Deve Gowda.