Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh has postponed the much anticipated ministry expansion to next month.

The second expansion of the Congress-JDS (Janata Dal Secular) coalition ministry planned for July 18 has been postponed to next month and is likely to be taken up after the budget session, of the State legislature, Singh told PTI from New Delhi today (July 14, 2004).

Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be presenting the maiden budget of the coalition Government on July 19 and the session is expected to last till the first week of August.

Singh said there was no problem on either side of the coalition partners over induction of new ministers to expand his 12-members ministry, but he needed to have more consultations with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Gandhi, who would be leaving for abroad was expected to return to the national capital on July 17 and due to paucity of time for consultations with her, the expansion exercise planned for July 18 could not be gone through now, Singh said.

Singh yesterday had a meeting with Gandhi, who suggested him to hold consultations with her political secretary Ahmed Patel and AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka affairs, Vilasrao Deshmukh.

The Chief Minister in an attempt to meet the June 18 deadline, in the wake of intensified pressure from ministerial aspirants, met former prime minister and JDS president H D Devegowda this morning.