20 members to be inducted

Bengaluru: The Cabinet of the new Congress Government in the State  is likely to be expanded on Saturday with the  induction of 20 members.

The first session of the 16th Karnataka Assembly will end tomorrow (May 24) with the election of the Speaker, following which Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is also the KPCC President, will visit New Delhi and meet the Party top brass to finalise the list of Ministers who will be inducted into the Cabinet.

The CM, who seems to be under compulsion to expand his Cabinet, is said to have sought time from the Raj Bhavan for induction of new Ministers on Friday itself. But as the Governor is said to be unavailable on Friday, the induction is proposed to take place on  Saturday.

The State Cabinet currently  has eight Ministers who were sworn-in  on May 20 along with CM Siddharamaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar.

During their Delhi visit, the CM and Deputy CM will be meeting AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Party General Secretaries K.C. Venugopal and  Randeep Singh Surjewala and other top party leaders.