Confusion Mars Karnataka Cabinet Expansion, Only 19 Ministers Take Oath
Earlier, a list of ministers to be inducted was changed where Karwar MLA Mankal Vaidya, representing Bhatkal Assembly seat in Uttara Kannada, was left out to include S.S. Mallikarjun. Sources in the Congress attributed the replacement of Mankal Vaidya by S.S. Mallikarjun to a “typo error”
Bengaluru: Confusion marred the Cabinet expansion in Karnataka on Monday, leading to the omission/addition of names a couple of times from the initial list of MLAs to be made ministers by the Congress. This led officials to reschedule the swearing-in ceremony by an hour at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru from the previous 4 pm to 5 pm.
Eventually, the list of MLAs to be ministers was cleared by the party leaders as they headed for the swearing-in ceremony, in which 19 MLAs took the oath as ministers in the D.K. Shivakumar government. The Cabinet expansion took place after Shivakumar completed two months as chief minister.
Earlier, a list of ministers to be inducted was changed where Karwar MLA Mankal Vaidya, representing Bhatkal Assembly seat in Uttara Kannada, was left out to include S.S. Mallikarjun. Sources in the Congress attributed the replacement of Mankal Vaidya by S.S. Mallikarjun to a “typo error”.
MLC N.S. Boseraju was approved to be a minister by the party’s central leaders, but was conspicuous by his absence. In a list approved by the central leaders, MLC Gayathri Shantegowda was approved but later her name was left out in the list announced later.
S.S. Mallikarjun replaced Mankal Vaidya at the last minute to become a minister. Mankal Vaidya arrived at the residence of chief minister D.K. Shivakumar but in vain. He declined to comment on his name being omitted from the list at the last minute. S.S. Mallikarjun told reporters: “I have no idea over the changes in the list.” He said the chief minister had invited him for the swearing-in ceremony and directed me to be present at 4 pm.
MLC Gayathri Shantegowda was left out from the swearing-in ceremony hours before the ceremony and the reasons for her missing the ministerial berth was not known immediately. Initially, sources said 20 ministers were to be sworn in at the Monday ceremony, while 19 of them took the oath.
The new faces in Shivakumar’s ministry include Rizwan Arshad, representing Shivaji Nagar Assembly seat in Bengaluru, Vijayanand Kashappanavar, representing Hungund seat in Bagalkot, Shivalinge Gowda, representing Arasikere seat in Hassan, P.M. Narendra Swamy, representing Malavalli seat in Mandya, Dr Aja Singh, representing Jewargi seat in Kalaburagi, Raghu Murthy, representing Challakere seat in Chitradurga, Puttarange Shetty, representing Chamarajanagar seat in Chamarajanagar, Basavarajaraya Reddy, representing Yelburga seat in Koppal, H.C. Balakrishna, representing Magadi seat in Bengaluru South district, Laxman Savadi, representing Athani seat in Belagavi and Basavanthappa, representing Mayakonda seat in Davangere.
N. Cheluvarayaswamy, representing Nagamangala seat in Mandya, Madhu Bangarappa, representing Soraba seat in Shivamogga, S.S. Mallikarjun, representing Davangere seat in Davangere, Ridrappa Lamani, representing Haveri seat in Haveri, Santosh Lad, representing Kalaghatagi seat in Dharwad, and Shivaraj Tangadagai, representing Kanakagiri seat in Koppal, made a comeback to the ministry. All of them served under previous chief minister Siddaramaiah, who was the chief minister from May 2023 to May 2026.
Some disgruntled MLAs like Yeshavantharaya Gouda Patil, representing Indi seat in Vijayapura, resigned as an MLA, expressing displeasure over denial of ministerial berth and he tendered resignation to deputy speaker Rudrappa Lamani. Patil said he was assured a beeth but later denied. Sagar MLA Gopala Krishna Beluru announced his resignation on Tuesday while MLAs B.K. Sangamesh, Tanveer Sait prominently expressed displeasure over being left out from inducting into the ministry.
