Karnataka Cabinet expansion: 20 legislators inducted, 10 new faces, B. Nagendra returns

The Congress party on Wednesday announced the expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet, with 20 legislators to be sworn in at 4.05 pm at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. The move comes two months after D.K. Shivakumar assumed office as Chief Minister. The expanded ministry will include 10 new faces, while seven ministers from the previous Siddaramaiah-led government return to the Cabinet.

The party has decided to fill the entire Cabinet quota, dispelling speculation that at least two berths would be left vacant. The expanded Cabinet will have 34 ministers, the maximum allowed under constitutional provisions.

The list, however, was revised hours after it was initially released. Party sources said that Mankal Vaidya was replaced by S.S. Mallikarjun in the final list. This followed a series of changes before the names were finalised.

The first-time ministers include P.M. Narendraswamy (Dalit), Rizwan Arshad (Muslim), Dr. Ajay Singh (OBC, son of former chief minister N. Dharam Singh), T. Raghumurthy (ST), H.C. Balakrishna (Vokkaliga), K.S. Basavanthappa (Dalit), K.M. Shivalinge Gowda (Vokkaliga), Vijayanand Kashappanavar (Panchamshali Lingayat), Rudrappa Lamani (Banjara – SC), and A.V. Gayatri Shanthegowda (Vokkaliga).

Ms. Shanthegowda, who is yet to take oath as a member of the Legislative Council, will be the only woman in the 34-member Cabinet. Her name came to prominence after the Supreme Court upheld that nominated members do not have voting power, a ruling that followed her petition against the election of M.K. Pranaesh from the Chikkamagaluru Local Authorities’ constituency in 2022.

Among those returning to the Cabinet is B. Nagendra, who had resigned from the previous Siddaramaiah government after his name surfaced in the financial scam in the Valmiki Development Corporation. He was later arrested. His inclusion in the current expansion marks a political comeback.

Others from the Siddaramaiah cabinet returning include Santhosh Lad, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Madhu Bangarappa, S.S. Mallikarjun, N. Cheluvaraya Swamy, and B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan. In addition, two former ministers from Siddaramaiah’s first term (2013-18), Basavaraj Rayareddi and Puttarangashetty, have been inducted. Laxman Savadi, who served as Deputy Chief Minister in the previous BJP government, is also set to join.

Six ministers from Mr. Siddaramaiah’s cabinet — H.K. Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, N.S. Boseraju, Mankala Vaidya, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, and R.B. Thimmapur — have been left out.

For the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, the Congress has named four-time MLA G.S. Patil for the Speaker’s post and first-time legislator A.S. Ponnanna for Deputy Speaker. In the Legislative Council, senior leader Saleem Ahmed and former minister S. Umashree have been nominated for the posts of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson respectively. The positions fell vacant after U.T. Khader was inducted into the Cabinet, Rudrappa Lamani was included, and M.K. Pranaesh resigned. The current Council Chairman, Basavaraj Horatti, is expected to step down, party sources said.