Karnataka portfolios: Siddaramaiah keeps finance, Shivakumar gets Bengaluru development
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced portfolios allocated to the recently inducted ministers of his cabinet on Sunday. He has decided to keep finance, cabinet affairs, personnel and administrative reforms, intelligence, information, and all other unallocated portfolios. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was allocated crucial ministries like Bengaluru city development and major and medium irrigation.
Why does this story matter?
The portfolio distribution follows weeks of suspense and hullabaloo, first over the CM post and then over cabinet berths, which were smoothened out by the Congress high command's intervention. Following a stunning victory, the Congress adopted the Rajasthan model of rotating CMs in Karnataka as well. It won 135 seats in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got just 66.
Siddaramaiah gives home to Parameshwara, Rural Development to Priyank Kharge
According to the Raj Bhawan list, former CM and prominent Congress leader G Parameshwara has been assigned the Home Ministry, while HK Patil has been given law and parliamentary affairs, legislation, and tourism. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's son, Priyank Kharge, got the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, while Dinesh Gundu Rao was given the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Who are other ministers inducted into cabinet?
Per the official document, Krishna Byregowda will head the Revenue Department (excluding Muzrai), while Dr. HC Mahadevappa—a practicing doctor—will head the Social Welfare Ministry. Congress National Secretary NS Boseraju, who is not a member of either House, has been allocated the minor irrigation and science and technology portfolios. Laxmi Hebbalkar, the only woman in Siddaramaiah's cabinet, got the Women and Child Welfare Ministry.
Check full list of ministers here
Strategic distribution of portfolios among castes
Reportedly, the ministers include eight Lingayats, including the sole female minister Hebbalkar, six from Scheduled Castes; five Vokkaligas; two Muslims, three from Scheduled Tribe communities, five from Other Backward Class (OBC) groups, one Maratha, one Brahmin, one Christian, and one Jain. Senior ministers have been assigned important ministries for the implementation of five "guarantees" announced by the Congress government.
Cabinet finalized after Congress high-command's approval
The Karnataka cabinet expansion decision was reportedly made after Siddaramaiah and his deputy Shivakumar met with party general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala on May 25 in New Delhi. The names of 24 candidates were discussed and forwarded to Congress President Kharge, who reportedly approved the same. Notably, the two leaders also met former party chiefs Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
