Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has assigned portfolios to the 34 ministers who make up the newly expanded cabinet in the state. While Siddaramaiah himself retained the ministries of finance, cabinet affairs, personnel and administrative reforms, intelligence, and information, along with other unallocated portfolios, his deputy DK Shivakumar was given the responsibility of Bengaluru city development, including major and medium irrigation.
Who gets what in portfolio allocation?
Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader G Parameshwara, who previously handled the Home Department, has once again been trusted with the ministry. HK Patil has been appointed as the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation, and Tourism. MB Patil, another senior Congress leader, has been designated as the new Large and Medium Industries minister, while KJ George has been given the Energy department portfolio.
DK Shivakumar gets Bengaluru city development
Priyank Kharge, son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, has been entrusted with the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. Dinesh Gundu Rao has been assigned the Health and Family Welfare ministry. DK Shivakumar's Bengaluru City Development responsibilities include overseeing important bodies such as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Development Authority, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority, and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.
Krishna Byregowda has been appointed as the Minister for the Revenue Department (excluding Muzrai), while Dr HC Mahadevappa, a practicing doctor, has been given the Social Welfare Ministry. Congress national secretary NS Boseraju, who is not a member of the legislative council or assembly, has been assigned the minor irrigation and Science and Technology portfolios.
Only woman minister in cabinet gets two portfolios
Laxmi Hebbalkar, the only woman minister in Siddaramaiah's cabinet, has been allocated the Child Development and the Disabled and Senior Citizens Empowerment portfolios. KH Muniyappa, a former Union minister, will now serve as the Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs minister. Ramalinga Reddy has been designated as the minister for Transport and Muzrai.
Other ministers and their departments include Dinesh Gundu Rao (Health and Family Welfare), Satish Jarakiholi (Public Works), Shivanand Patil (Textiles, Sugarcane Development, and the Directorate of Sugar), and Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil (Medical Education and Skill Development).
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah expands cabinet
On Saturday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expanded his cabinet by inducting 24 ministers in the latest reshuffle. With this expansion, the Karnataka cabinet has reached its maximum capacity of 34 ministers, 10 of whom, including the chief minister and his deputy, were sworn in on May 20.
However, the Cabinet expansion caused some discontent within the Congress, as several MLAs who aspired to become ministers were overlooked, leading party leaders to pacify them. In the May 10 elections, the Congress won 135 seats in the 224-member assembly, while the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) led by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.
