Congress Clears Karnataka Cabinet Expansion for 20 New Ministers
Congress leadership has approved a Karnataka Cabinet expansion, with 20 new ministers expected to be sworn in today.
The Indian Express reports that the Congress party has approved a Cabinet expansion in Karnataka, with 20 new ministers scheduled to be sworn in. The development comes as the state government moves to fill ministerial positions, though the report does not specify the exact timing of the ceremony or the political considerations behind the selections.
After several rounds of deliberations, the Congress leadership has approved a Cabinet expansion in Karnataka, clearing the way for 20 new ministers to be sworn in as early as Monday evening. The ceremony, subject to last-minute changes, will bring the total strength of the ministry to 33, adding to the 13 ministers who took oath alongside Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on June 3 (Indian Express).
The list of likely inductees includes Laxman Savadi, Vijayanand Kashappanavar, Gayatri Shanthegowda, Magadi Balakrishna, Zameer Ahmed Khan, Ajay Singh, T Raghumurthy, N Chaluvarayaswamy, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Madhu Bangarappa, Rudrappa Lamani, Rizwan Arshad, Santosh Lad, K M Shivalinge Gowda, C Puttarangashetty, S S Mallikarjun, Mankalu Vaidya, P M Narendraswamy, K S Basavanthappa and Basavaraj Rayareddy. Half of the new ministers—Kashappanavar, Shanthegowda, Balakrishna, Singh, Raghumurthy, Lamani, Arshad, Shivalinge Gowda, Narendraswamy and Basavanthappa—will be serving in the Cabinet for the first time (Indian Express).
The long-awaited expansion follows weeks of uncertainty and multiple rounds of consultations between the state leadership and the Congress high command. Shivakumar made several trips to New Delhi in recent weeks to hold discussions with the party leadership amid prolonged negotiations over the composition of the ministry. "The process of Cabinet expansion will be completed by the end of this week," Shivakumar said before departing for his latest trip to Delhi last week (Indian Express).
The delay fuelled reports of intense lobbying by aspirants and infighting within the Congress over regional, caste and factional representation. Several MLAs had publicly expressed disappointment over the delay and mounted pressure on the leadership to complete the exercise. Since Shivakumar replaced Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister, the party leadership has faced pressure to ensure representation across regions, communities and seniority. In June, Congress leaders from Karnataka travelled to Delhi with a list of aspirants, but the high command sought revisions, preferring to induct younger faces rather than a roster dominated by senior legislators (Indian Express).
Alongside the Cabinet expansion, the All India Congress Committee announced appointments for key legislative posts. Senior legislator G S Patil has been named Speaker of the Assembly, while first-time MLA A S Ponnanna will serve as Deputy Speaker. In the Legislative Council, Saleem Ahmed has been appointed Chairman, with Umashree serving as Deputy Chairperson (Indian Express).
Indian Express