Karnataka cabinet expansion today, lone BSP MLA to take oath as minister

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy will carry out the first expansion of the cabinet on Wednesday, but neither the Congress nor the Janata Dal (S) will fill up all the berths while the lone Bahujan Samaj Party MLA N Mahesh is set to take oath as a minister.

The oath-taking ceremony, two weeks after Kumaraswamy took charge, is set to take place at 2:12pm at the Governor’s residence, which is an ‘auspicious time’, a senior Congress leader said.

News agency ANI reported that Congress’ DK Shivakumar, KJ George and Priyank Kharge will also take oath as ministers.

With intense lobbying by MLAs on both sides, the parties have decided to expand the Cabinet in two phases, said JD(S) national secretary general Kunwar Danish Ali.

BSP legislator Mahesh is set to become the first member of that party outside Uttar Pradesh to become a minister in a state government. “As they were our pre-poll allies we have decided that they should be included in our Cabinet,” Ali said.

Senior Congress leaders from the state, including former chief minister Siddaramaiah and party strongman DK Shivakumar, met party president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Tuesday to finalise the portfolios.

The two parties had decided to split the 34 ministries in the ratio of 2:1. As a result, the Congress will get 22 ministries and the JD(S) 12, including the chief minister’s post.