The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka is preparing for a cabinet expansion, with at least 20 to 24 new ministers expected to be inducted on Saturday, according to party sources. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar held discussions with party General Secretaries K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday to finalize the cabinet expansion plans.
The meeting, which lasted for over five hours in three sessions, involved deliberations on the names of several MLAs for ministerial positions, as per the sources. The new ministers are scheduled to take oath on Saturday at around 11:30 a.m.
While senior leaders remained tight-lipped about the developments, the source revealed that the names of 20 to 24 potential candidates were discussed and sent to party chief Mallikarjuna Kharge for the final decision. Before heading to Bengaluru, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are also expected to meet former party chief Rahul Gandhi.
Last Saturday, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar took oath as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, in the presence of top party leaders and prominent opposition figures. Eight more ministers were also sworn in, including G. Parmeshwara, K.H. Muniyappa, K.J. George, M.B. Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyanka Kharge, Ramalinga Reddy, and B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan. However, portfolios have not yet been allocated to any of them.
The allocation of ministerial berths will require a delicate balance to address the demands of different communities within the cabinet. The politically influential Lingayat community, which showed strong support for the party, has expressed its desire for the Chief Minister post. While there is speculation that a significant number of ministerial positions may be given to Lingayat MLAs, no official confirmation has been provided.
The party source indicated that the majority of ministers are expected to be from the Siddaramaiah camp, while Shivakumar is likely to receive three to four portfolios, including two prominent departments.
Among the potential ministers listed, names such as Krishna Byre Gowda, Laxman Savadi, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Saleem Ahmed, Santosh Lad, Dinesh Gundu Rao, HK Patil, Eshwar Khandre, Tanveer Seth, Dr H.C. Mahadevappa, BK Reddy, and BK Hariprasad were mentioned.
The upcoming cabinet expansion holds significant importance for the Siddaramaiah-led government as it aims to strike a balance between various communities and ensure effective governance for the state of Karnataka.
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