"Not possible to accommodate all, will provide opportunities in future": Karnataka CM Shivakumar after Cabinet expansion
Bengaluru, August 3
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday said that all MLAs cannot be accommodated in the Cabinet at once, adding that those who miss out on ministerial berths will get opportunities in the future.
Speaking to reporters on the Cabinet expansion, Shivakumar said that it was not possible to accommodate all the MLAs in the ministry and recalled that he too had earlier missed out on a ministerial berth in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet.
"There are many MLAs. It is not possible to accommodate everyone. Earlier, I too missed out on a ministerial berth in Siddaramaiah's Cabinet. But didn't I become a minister later? Similarly, we will provide opportunities to everyone in the future. Right now, I am heading to Lok Bhavan," Shivakumar added.
Earlier today, the Congress high command approved the expansion of the DK Shivakumar-led Karnataka Cabinet, clearing the names of 20 ministers, including one woman, Gayathri Shanthegowda. 12 new faces get a chance, while 8 incumbent ministers are retained in the new cabinet composition.
According to an official release, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge approved the induction of PM Narendraswamy, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Rudrappa Lamani, KS Basavanthappa, B Nagendra, T Raghumoorthy, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rizwan Arshad, Santosh Lad, Madhu Bangarappa, Putturangashetty, SS Mallikarjun, Ajay Singh, N Chaluvaraya Swamy, KM Shivalinge Gowda, HC Balakrishna, Gayathri Shanthegowda, Basavaraj Rayareddi, Vijayanand Kashappanavar, and Laxman Savadi as ministers.
The oath-taking ceremony of the Karnataka cabinet expansion will take place this evening at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru.
Among the approved names, Gayathri Shanthegowda is the only woman minister. The list also includes several new entrants to the cabinet, including PM Narendraswamy, KS Basavanthappa, T Raghumoorthy, Putturangashetty, Ajay Singh, and Gayathri Shanthegowda, while several former ministers are making a return to the Council of Ministers.
The Congress high command also approved appointments to key positions in the Karnataka Legislature. GS Patil has been cleared for the post of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, A. S. Ponnanna for Deputy Speaker, Saleem Ahmed for Chairperson of the Legislative Council, and Umashree for Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said the final decision on the cabinet expansion rested with the Congress high command.
Speaking to reporters, Kharge said, "The high command is deciding on it, and we are expecting it to be announced today. We have more than 140 MLAs. We have MLAs in every district. We have MLAs in every community. We have a lot of capable leaders. We have depth in leadership. So, it is going to be difficult to pick only 30 out of the 140 legislators we have."
The DK Shivakumar ministry represents the current council of ministers in Karnataka, formed following a leadership transition. Operating under the leadership of CM Shivakumar, the administration features a mix of key cabinet members including G Parameshwara, KH Muniyappa, KJ George, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge, UT Khader, Eshwara Khandre, Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Byrathi Suresh, and Sharan Prakash Patil.
— ANI
Reader Comments
At least CM Shivakumar is being honest about it. Better than leaders who pretend everyone will be included and then quietly drop them. But 20 ministers with only 1 woman? In 2024, that's disappointing. Congress should do better on gender representation. 🙄
"I too missed out earlier and became minister later" - well said Shivakumar ji. This is how politics works everywhere, whether in India or abroad. People need to understand that you can't have 140 ministers in the cabinet. Basic maths, folks! The real challenge is ensuring development work happens now.
Honestly, this constant cabinet expansion drama is becoming a joke. Every few months there's a reshuffle or expansion. Why can't they just have a proper team from day one? Feels like they're just trying to manage internal factions rather than focusing on Karnataka's development. The common citizen needs better roads, water, and education, not this political soap opera.
Interesting to see Indian state politics up close. In many ways, it's similar to US state cabinets where you can't give everyone a role. But the demand for caste and community representation seems uniquely Indian. Hope this new team delivers on governance rather than just managing political equations.
The problem is not about accommodating everyone - it's about merit! Some of these people have been MLAs for 5 terms without any significant contribution. Why not give opportunities to young, educated candidates who actually understand modern governance? The same old faces keep coming back while deserving people wait for years.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.