New Delhi/Bengaluru: Ending months of speculation, the Congress government in Karnataka on Monday decided to expand its Cabinet after the party high command approved the induction of 20 legislators as ministers.
The swearing-in ceremony of the newly inducted ministers will be held at 4:05 pm at the Lok Bhavan premises, according to an official communication from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Congress approves Cabinet expansion
The approval was conveyed by AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal through a letter addressed to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, stating that the Congress President had approved the Cabinet expansion proposal.
Along with the ministerial expansion, the Congress leadership also cleared appointments to key legislative posts in Karnataka.
Senior Congress leader G.S. Patil has been nominated as the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, while A.S. Ponnanna will serve as the Deputy Speaker.
For the Legislative Council, Saleem Ahmed has been approved as Chairperson and Umashree as Deputy Chairperson.
20 MLAs approved for induction
The legislators approved for induction into the Karnataka Cabinet are:
- P.M. Narendraswamy
- Shivaraj Tangadagi
- Rudrappa Lamani
- K.S. Basavanthappa
- B. Nagendra
- T. Raghumoorthy
- B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan
- Rizwan Arshad
- Santosh Lad
- Madhu Bangarappa
- Puttarangashetty
- Mankala Vaidya
- Ajay Singh
- N. Chaluvarya Swamy
- K.M. Shivalinge Gowda
- H.C. Balakrishna
- Gayathri Shanthegowda
- Basavaraj Rayareddi
- Vijayanand Kashappanavar
- Laxman Savadi
Expansion aimed at balancing representation
The Cabinet expansion came after weeks of discussions between CM Shivakumar, senior state leaders and the Congress high command in New Delhi.
The exercise had been delayed due to demands for regional, caste and factional representation. The expansion is expected to strengthen the Shivakumar-led government by ensuring wider representation and balancing internal political interests.
Former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress MLA Laxman Savadi, who was among those inducted, said those who opposed his inclusion would get their answer after his oath ceremony.
Savadi, who left the BJP before the 2023 Assembly elections and joined Congress, thanked CM Shivakumar and the party leadership for keeping their promise.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said a full-strength Cabinet was necessary for effective governance and would help improve the functioning of the government.