19 Leaders Sworn Into DK Shivakumar's Karnataka Cabinet: Who Made The Cut, Who Didn't

Published 3 August 2026 · india

19 Leaders Sworn Into DK Shivakumar's Karnataka Cabinet: Who Made The Cut, Who Didn't Published By, Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 19:12 IST DK Shivakumar

19 Leaders Sworn Into DK Shivakumar's Karnataka Cabinet: Who Made The Cut, Who Didn't Published By, Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 19:12 IST DK Shivakumar expanded his Karnataka cabinet with 19 ministers taking oath. Here's the full list of leaders sworn in, those left out, and what the new ministry looks like. DK Shivakumar inducted 19 ministers into the Karnataka cabinet. Here's the full list of leaders sworn in, those left out, the Gayathri Shantegowda controversy and Congress dissent. (IMAGE: PTI FILE) Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday inducted 19 leaders into his expanded Karnataka cabinet, completing the much-awaited ministry expansion while exposing the fault lines within the ruling Congress. The swearing-in ceremony at Lok Bhavan came amid last-minute changes to the final list, simmering discontent among senior leaders and the conspicuous absence of former chief minister Siddaramaiah. The portfolios of the newly inducted ministers are expected to be announced separately. Who’s In? The new ministers sworn into the Karnataka cabinet are 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 Dr Ajay Singh N Chaluvaraya Swamy KM Shivalinge Gowda HC Balakrishna Basavaraj Rayareddi Vijayanand Kashappanavar Laxman Savadi Among the notable developments was the induction of S S Mallikarjun, who replaced Mankal Vaidya after last-minute changes to the list approved by the Congress high command.

Among the biggest talking points of the cabinet expansion was the omission of Gayathri Shantegowda. The Congress MLC from the Kuruba community said her name had figured in the list approved by the party high command and that she had expected to be sworn in. “I was supposed to take oath today, but it did not happen. Naturally, I am disappointed," Shantegowda said. She declined to speculate on why she was dropped from the final list, saying she did not know the reason. Asked about Siddaramaiah’s absence from the swearing-in ceremony, she said she was unaware of the matter and had only come to wish the former chief minister on his birthday. The expansion also reflects the Congress’s attempt to balance caste and regional equations. The ministry retains seven Lingayat ministers and five Vokkaliga ministers, while also including seven Scheduled Caste ministers, three Scheduled Tribe representatives, five OBC leaders and three Muslim ministers. The Congress has also approved Saleem Ahmed as Chairman of the Legislative Council, taking minority representation in key constitutional positions to four. Who’s Out? If the swearing-in celebrated those who made the cut, the political conversation outside the venue centred on those who did not. Several senior Congress leaders, including H K Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Shivanand Patil, R B Thimmapur, R V Deshpande, K Venkatesh, Krishnappa, Tanveer Sait, Appaji Nadagouda and H C Mahadevappa, failed to secure ministerial berths.