Bengaluru. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's government on Monday announced the first expansion of his cabinet, swearing in 19 Congress MLAs as ministers. Nearly two months after he became Chief Minister, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. However, Gayatri Shantegowda, the only woman among the 20 names approved by the Congress high command, could not take the oath, leaving one post vacant in the cabinet.

The newly appointed ministers include N. Cheluvarayaswami, Basavaraj Rayareddy, Laxman Savadi, Madhu Bangarappa, SS Mallikarjun, B. Nagendra, H.C. Balakrishna, K.S. Basavantappa, Dr. Ajay Singh, P.M. Narendraswami, C. Puttaranga Shetty, T.R. Raghumurthy, Rizwan Arshad, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Rudrappa Lamani, B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, Santosh Lad, K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, and Vijayanand Kashappanavar.

Why didn't Gayatri Shantegowda take the oath?

The Congress leadership had given final approval to the names of 20 leaders for cabinet expansion, including Gayatri Shantegowda. However, she was recently elected to the Karnataka Legislative Council from the Chikmagalur local body constituency and has not yet been formally sworn in as a council member. Due to the constitutional process not being completed, she was unable to take the oath as a minister. Consequently, one position in the cabinet is currently vacant. According to the rules, Karnataka can have a maximum of 34 ministers, including the Chief Minister.

What did Narendraswami say after becoming a minister?

After being sworn in, Prime Minister Narendra Swami said that he was honored to be appointed as a minister. He stated that he would work with full dedication to strengthen the government and the organization. According to him, the Congress's goal is to regain power in the 2028 assembly elections, while the primary aspiration of party workers is to see Rahul Gandhi become Prime Minister in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Discontent Emerged Even Before the Cabinet Expansion

Before the cabinet expansion, several Congress leaders expressed displeasure over not being given ministerial positions. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar appealed to all MLAs for patience, stating that it was not possible to include everyone in the cabinet at once and that other leaders would be given opportunities in the future.

Despite this, Yashwantraygouda V. Patil, MLA from the Indi assembly constituency, resigned in displeasure over not being given a ministerial position. His supporters protested and raised slogans outside the assembly premises and Vidhana Soudha.

Consensus Also Reached on These Constitutional Posts

The Congress leadership nominated G.S. Patil for the post of Speaker of the Assembly, and A.S. The names of Ponnanna, Salim Ahmed for the post of Chairman of the Legislative Council, and Umashree for the post of Deputy Chairman have also been approved.

The neglect of senior leaders has increased the debate.

Several experienced leaders were left out of the cabinet expansion. These include prominent names like H.C. Mahadevappa, H.K. Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, K. Venkatesh, M.C. Sudhakar, and Lakshmi Hebbalkar. The exclusion of these leaders from the cabinet has sparked discussions of discontent within the party.

However, the Congress leadership maintains that responsibilities will be distributed in the future while maintaining a balance between the organization and the government. Therefore, after the cabinet expansion, the government will face the challenge of accelerating administrative work while also maintaining balance and unity within the party.