Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has assigned portfolios to ministers in his Cabinet, retaining the Finance department for himself while entrusting the Irrigation and Bengaluru City Development departments to his deputy DK Shivakumar.
Following his swearing-in ceremony on May 20, Siddaramaiah expanded the Cabinet by inducting 24 new ministers on Saturday after extensive consultations with the Congress’ central leadership. G Parameshwara, who previously oversaw the Home department, has been reassigned to the same portfolio. MB Patil has been appointed as the new Large and Medium Industries minister, while KJ George has been given charge of the Energy department, according to a notification released late on Sunday by the Karnataka government.
In addition to the Finance department, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has retained responsibility for Cabinet Affairs, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Intelligence, Information, IT and BT, Infrastructure Development, and all unallocated portfolios.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has been entrusted with the crucial Major and Medium Irrigation and Bengaluru City Development departments, including 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. Despite five MLAs from the city being ministers in the Cabinet, Shivakumar, who hails from the neighboring Ramanagara district, has been given the important Bengaluru City Development portfolio, which holds significance in light of the upcoming BBMP polls.
Other portfolio assignments include HK Patil as the Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation, and Tourism minister, and KH Muniyappa, a former Union minister, who will take charge of the Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department. Ramalinga Reddy has been appointed as the Transport and Muzrai minister, while Dinesh Gundu Rao is the new Health and Family Welfare minister. HC Mahadevappa has been allocated the Social Welfare department, Satish Jarakiholi will oversee Public Works, and Krishna Byregowda will be responsible for Revenue.
Priyank Kharge, son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, has been appointed as the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister. Shivanand Patil will handle Textiles, Sugarcane Development, and the Directorate of Sugar, Agricultural Marketing from the Cooperation department. BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan will oversee Housing, Wakf, and Minority Welfare, while Sharanabasappa Darshanapur has been assigned the Small Scale Industries and Public Enterprises department. Eshwar Khandre will be in charge of Forest, Ecology, and Environment, N Cheluvarayaswamy will handle Agriculture, and SS Mallikarjun will take on Mines and Geology, as well as Horticulture. Rahim Khan has been given the portfolios of Municipal Administration and Haj, while Santhosh L Lad will oversee Labour.
Laxmi R Hebbalkar, the lone woman in the Cabinet, will be responsible for the Women and Child Development and Disabled and Senior Citizens Empowerment portfolios. Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil has been allocated the portfolio of Medical Education and Skill Development.
The Cabinet also includes RB Timmapur as the Excise minister, K Venkatesh as the Animal Husbandry and Sericulture minister, Shivaraj Tangadagi as the Backward Class, Kannada, and Culture minister, D Sudhakar as the Planning and Statistics minister, B Nagendra as the Youth Services, Sports, and ST Welfare minister, KN Rajanna as the Co-operation minister, Suresha BS as the Urban Development and Town Planning and Mankal Vaidya as the fisheries and Ports, Inland Transport.
Madhu Bangarappa will assume the role of the Primary and Secondary Education minister, MC Sudhakar will be responsible for Higher Education, and NS Boseraju has been allocated the Minor Irrigation, Science, and Technology portfolios.
However, the Cabinet expansion has led to disgruntlement within the Congress party, with several MLAs who aspired to become ministers expressing dissatisfaction. Party leaders have been working to pacify the disappointed MLAs and address their concerns.
In the May 10 elections for the 224-member assembly, the Congress secured 135 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) won 66 and 19 seats, respectively.
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