Karnataka: Cabinet expansion likely on Saturday with 24 more ministers
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will reportedly expand his current ten-member cabinet on Saturday, with more of his and his Deputy DK Shivakumar's loyalists receiving ministerial berths. The names of at least 24 new ministers have been finalized following a series of consultative meetings in Delhi, per IANS. The sworn-in ceremony will take place at Bengaluru's Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday at around 11:30am.
Why does this story matter?
The Congress Party made a comeback in Karnataka by forming the government on its own after 10 years by winning the recent Assembly elections. The poll results also continued the state's custom of giving mandates to alternate governments after every five years. Notably, Congress got 135 seats in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 66 seats.
List of potential candidates with party president for final approval
The cabinet expansion decision was reportedly made after CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy Shivakumar met with party general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala on Thursday in New Delhi. The names of nearly 24 potential candidates were discussed and forwarded to party president Mallikarjun Kharge for final approval. Notably, the two leaders are also expected to meet with former Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
Kharge canceled all engagements to deliberate on Karnataka cabinet
"Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been actively lobbying for their trusted supporters to be included in the cabinet," a senior Congress leader told the Hindustan Times. Kharge has canceled all his engagements and meetings for Friday to finish the deliberations on the Karnataka cabinet, he added.
CM Siddaramaiah assures allocation of portfolios after BJP's jibe
On Wednesday, Siddaramaiah also assured to allocate portfolios to the ministers soon after BJP leader and ex-CM Basavaraj Bommai questioned the delay over it. "We will give them the responsibility at the earliest. How long was BS Yediyurappa alone in the cabinet as the chief minister? Mr former chief minister (Bommai), you need not have any doubts," he said.
Eight ministers sworn in May 20, portfolios not assigned
On May 19, the Congress unveiled the initial list of eight ministers for the recently established cabinet. Names of G Parameshwara, KH Muniyappa, KJ George, MB Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Ramalinga Reddy, and BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan figured in the list. They took the oath of office alongside Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar on May 20, but they have not yet been given portfolios.
How did former CM Basavaraj Bommai react?
Reacting to the delay, Bommai had said, "Congratulations to the chief minister and all the ministers, but it would have been appropriate if the chief minister had introduced ministers after allocating portfolios to them." "Why has it not happened? if it is done at the earliest it will be good," Bommai had said soon after Siddaramaiah introduced the eight new ministers last Saturday.
