Karnataka cabinet expansion: 25 ministers join HD Kumaraswamy government; 14 from Congress, 9 from JDS

BENGALURU: Twenty five ministers joined the Karnataka Cabinet during the first phase of portfolio allocation on Wednesday. The Cabinet expansion took place two weeks after HD Kumaraswamy took oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Of the 25 ministers who took oath on Wednesday, fourteen are from the Congress, nine from its ruling coalition partner Janata Dal Secular (JDS) and one each from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP). Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan.

HD Revanna, son of former prime minister and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda and state senior Congress leaders DK Shivakumar were among those who took the oath. JDS leader GT Deve Gowda, who had emerged as a giant killer defeating former chief minister Siddaramaiah in Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru in the assembly polls was also inducted. Kumaraswamy had taken oath as chief minister and KPCC chief G Parameshwara as deputy chief minister on May 23. 

Former Kannda actress and legislative council member Jayamala of the Congress is the lone woman minister.

N. Mahesh of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was also sworn in. The BSP is a pre-poll ally of the JD-S. Independent R. Shankar, who supported the alliance, is another cabinet minister.

Among the Congress ministers were R.V. Deshpande, D.K. Shivakumar, K.J. George, Krishna Byre Gowda, Shiva Shankar Reddy, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, U.T. Abdul Khader, Zameer Ahmed Khan, Shivanand Patil, Venkat Ramanappa, Rajsekhar Basavaraj Patil, Puttaranga Shetty and Jayamala.

Among the JD-S ministers are H.D. Revanna, Bandeppa Kashempur, G.T. Deve Gowda, D.C. Thammanna, M.C. Managuli, S.R. Srinivas, Venkatrao Nadegouda, C.S. Puttaraju and S.R. Mahesh.

Priyank is the son of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge from Chittapur in Kalaburgi district.

The 14 legislators of the Congress and nine of the JD-S took oath in Kannada and in the name of either god, Allah, 14th century Kannadiga social reformer Basavanna and parents.

Under the power sharing arrangement agreed upon by both parties, Congress will have 22 ministers and the JDS 12. With 25 ministers being sworn in on Wednesday, the strength of the ministry has gone up to 27, leaving seven more vacancies to be filled.