D.K. Shivakumar’s Cabinet expanded amid confusion and rebellion
Amid confusion and rebellion in the party ranks, the D.K. Shivakumar led-Congress government in Karnataka on Monday expanded the Cabinet inducting 19 legislators, two months
Amid confusion and rebellion in the party ranks, the D.K. Shivakumar led-Congress government in Karnataka on Monday expanded the Cabinet inducting 19 legislators, two months after he was sworn in along with 13 Ministers. Eight legislators who were sworn in on Monday are first time Ministers and six Ministers who served in the second tenure of the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have returned to the Cabinet. Though the name of A.V. Gayatri Shanthegowda figured in the initial list of legislators, ultimately, she was not sworn in. The Cabinet does not have representation for women. The first timers in the Cabinet included P.M. Narendraswamy, Rizwan Arshad, Ajay Singh (son of former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh), T. Raghumurthy, H.C. Balakrishna, K.S. Basavanthappa, K.M. Shivalingegowda and Vijayanand Kashappanavar. Given the lobbying by over 50 Cabinet hopefuls over the last two months, it was expected that at least two Cabinet berths could be kept vacant.
The party initially decided to fill up the entire Cabinet quota of 34, but eventually kept one berth vacant after pressure mounted. The list was modified hours before the swearing in. The party has also named its candidates for posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the Legislative Assembly and Chairman and Deputy Chairman in the Legislative Council. “We will create one or the other opportunity and legislators have to remain patient. There are many aspirants and many are eligible. The party will decide sometime. I was not taken to Cabinet in 2004 and I was not inducted into Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet initially. I remained patient then,” the Chief Minister said, appealing to the legislators. B. Nagendra, who had resigned from former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet after his name surfaced in the multi-crore financial scam in Valmiki Development Corporation and later arrested, has made a comeback.
Among those returning to the Cabinet from Mr. Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet are Santhosh Lad, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Madhu Bangarappa, N. Cheluvarayaswamy, S.S. Mallikarjun and B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan. Three former Ministers, who had served under Mr. Siddaramaiah in his first term between 2013 and 2018, Basavaraj Rayaraddi, Rudrappa Lamani and Puttarangashetty have been accommodated. A Lingayat leader from Belagavi district Laxman Savadi, who had served as Deputy Chief Minister during the BJP government under B.S. Yediyurappa between 2019 and 2021, has also been inducted into the Cabinet. Prominent leaders from Mr. Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet, who have missed out are H.K. Patil, Dinesh Gundurao, N.S. Boseraju, H.C. Mahadevappa, K. Venkatesh, Shivanand Patil, M.C. Sudhakar, Rahim Khan, Lakshmi Hebbalkar and R.B. Thimmapur. For the post of Speaker and Chairman While the Congress has named four-time G.S. Patil and first-time legislator A.S. Ponnanna, who was legal adviser to Mr. Siddaramaiah, for the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly respectively, senior leader and Chief Whip Saleem Ahmed and former Minister S.
The BriefWire