Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to 24 new ministers in the Siddharamaiah cabinet expansion on Saturday. With this, the Congress-led government in Karnataka, under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, now has a full-strength cabinet in the state. Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. On May 20, Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, and eight other MLAs took the oath of office.
On May 18, Siddaramaiah was unanimously elected as the CLP leader in Karnataka after the Congress party finalized its Chief Minister candidate following days of tussle between Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the Chief Minister, while DK Shivakumar took the oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Here is the tentative list of 34 Ministers in the Karnataka Government (portfolio allocation subject to official announcement by the Congress):
- Siddaramaiah: Chief Minister, Finance, Cabinet Affairs, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Information, and all unallocated portfolios.
- DK Shivakumar: Deputy Chief Minister, Major & Medium Irrigation, Bengaluru City Development.
- HK Patil: Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation, Minor Irrigation.
- Krishna Byre Gowda: Revenue (excluding Muzrai).
- N Cheluvarayaswamy: Agriculture.
- K Venkatesh: Animal Husbandry & Sericulture.
- HC Mahadevappa: Social Welfare.
- Eshwar Khandre: Forest, Ecology & Environment.
- Kyathasandra N Rajanna: Co-operation.
- Dinesh Gundu Rao: Health & Family Welfare.
- Sharanabasappa Darshanapur: Small Scale Industries, Public Sector Industries.
- Shivanand Patil: Textiles, Sugarcane Development & Sugar, Agriculture Marketing.
- Timmapur Ramappa Balappa: Excise & Muzrai.
- SS Mallikarjun: Mines & Geology, Horticulture.
- Tangadagi Shivaraj Sangappa: Backward Classes & ST Welfare.
- Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil: Higher Education.
- Mankal Vaidya: Fisheries & Ports, Island Transport.
- Laxmi R Hebbalkar: Women & Child Development, Disabled & Senior Citizen Empowerment.
- Rahim Khan: Municipal Administration, Haj.
- D Sudhakar: Medical Education.
- Santosh S Lad: Labour & Skill Development.
- NS Boseraju: Science & Technology, Tourism.
- Suresha BS: Urban Development & Town Planning.
- Madhu Bangarappa: Primary & Secondary Education.
- MC Sudhakar: Medical Education.
- B Nagendra: Youth Services, Sports and Kannada Culture.
- Priyank Kharge: Rural Development & Panchayati Raj.
- G Parameshwara: Home (excluding Intelligence).
- MB Patil: Large & Medium Industries, I.T & B.T.
- KH Muniyappa: Food & Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs.
- KJ George: Energy.
- Satish Jarkiholi: Public Works.
- Ramalinga Reddy: Transport.
- BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan: Housing, Waqf & Minorities.
In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the Congress secured an emphatic win by bagging 135 seats, ousting the ruling BJP, which obtained 66 seats.