Bengaluru: The 15-day-old H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) Cabinet in Karnataka was expanded yesterday with the induction of 25 ministers — 14 from Congress, 9 from Janata Dal (Secular) and one each from Bahujan Samaj Party and KPJP.
Six MLAs from Mysuru region — G.T. Devegowda, S.R. Mahesh, C.S. Puttaraju, D.C. Thammanna, C. Puttarangashetty and N. Mahesh — were sworn-in as Ministers along with other Ministers by Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala at the Glass House of Raj Bhavan.
Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara and several Congress and JD(S) leaders were present during the oath-taking ceremony. The swearing-in of the new Ministers which began at 2.12 pm was followed by a Cabinet meeting chaired by Kumaraswamy.
While forming the alliance government, both parties had agreed to share the 34 portfolios in the ratio of 2:1, with the Congress getting 22 and the JD(S) 12, including the Chief Minister’s post. Along with Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, the Cabinet strength stands at 27 at present. However, the portfolios of the Ministers have not yet been announced.
The coalition Cabinet is a blend of youth and experience and 12 of them are first-timers. However, several senior leaders from both the parties have been denied a place. With yesterday’s expansion, seven more vacancies have to be filled.
In terms of caste, Congress has managed to strike a balance by providing fair representation to all major castes/communities, while the JD(S) provided more representation to the dominant Vokkaliga community.
Lobbying by the newly sworn-in Ministers to get key portfolios is said to be the main reason why the allotment of Ministries was put on hold for now.
Senior Ministers in both the Congress and the JD(S) are mounting pressure on the party to give them plum portfolios.
The expansion sparked off a wave of dissidence and protests, especially in the Congress camp, by those who did not find themselves in the list.
Several seniors in the Congress including H.K. Patil, M.B. Patil and Ramalinga Reddy have been left out.
This post was published on June 7, 2018 6:42 pm