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DK Shivakumar expanded his Karnataka cabinet with 19 ministers taking oath. Here’s the full list of leaders sworn in, those left out, and what the new ministry looks like.
DK Shivakumar inducted 19 ministers into the Karnataka cabinet. Here’s the full list of leaders sworn in, those left out, the Gayathri Shantegowda controversy and Congress dissent. (IMAGE: PTI FILE)
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday inducted 19 leaders into his expanded Karnataka cabinet, completing the much-awaited ministry expansion while exposing the fault lines within the ruling Congress. The swearing-in ceremony at Lok Bhavan came amid last-minute changes to the final list, simmering discontent among senior leaders and the conspicuous absence of former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
The portfolios of the newly inducted ministers are expected to be announced separately.
Who’s In?
The new ministers sworn into the Karnataka cabinet are:
- PM Narendraswamy
- Shivaraj Tangadagi
- Rudrappa Lamani
- KS Basavanthappa
- B Nagendra
- T Raghumoorthy
- BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan
- Rizwan Arshad
- Santosh Lad
- Madhu Bangarappa
- Putturangashetty
- SS Mallikarjun
- Dr Ajay Singh
- N Chaluvaraya Swamy
- KM Shivalinge Gowda
- HC Balakrishna
- Basavaraj Rayareddi
- Vijayanand Kashappanavar
- Laxman Savadi
Among the notable developments was the induction of S S Mallikarjun, who replaced Mankal Vaidya after last-minute changes to the list approved by the Congress high command.
Among the biggest talking points of the cabinet expansion was the omission of Gayathri Shantegowda. The Congress MLC from the Kuruba community said her name had figured in the list approved by the party high command and that she had expected to be sworn in.
“I was supposed to take oath today, but it did not happen. Naturally, I am disappointed,” Shantegowda said. She declined to speculate on why she was dropped from the final list, saying she did not know the reason. Asked about Siddaramaiah’s absence from the swearing-in ceremony, she said she was unaware of the matter and had only come to wish the former chief minister on his birthday.
The expansion also reflects the Congress’s attempt to balance caste and regional equations. The ministry retains seven Lingayat ministers and five Vokkaliga ministers, while also including seven Scheduled Caste ministers, three Scheduled Tribe representatives, five OBC leaders and three Muslim ministers. The Congress has also approved Saleem Ahmed as Chairman of the Legislative Council, taking minority representation in key constitutional positions to four.
Who’s Out?
If the swearing-in celebrated those who made the cut, the political conversation outside the venue centred on those who did not.
Several senior Congress leaders, including H K Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Shivanand Patil, R B Thimmapur, R V Deshpande, K Venkatesh, Krishnappa, Tanveer Sait, Appaji Nadagouda and H C Mahadevappa, failed to secure ministerial berths.
The omissions sparked immediate unrest within the party.
Yashwantraya Patil resigned after missing out on a cabinet berth, while Belur MLA Gopalakrishna indicated that he too would step down. More than 15 disgruntled legislators later held a closed-door meeting at senior Congress leader P V Jayachandra’s residence in Bengaluru to discuss their next course of action. Sources said senior leaders, including H K Patil and Dinesh Gundu Rao, attended the meeting.
Senior Congress leader K H Muniyappa also expressed dissatisfaction over his portfolio allocation and sought a change, underscoring the unease within the ruling party.
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah added another layer to the political drama by skipping the swearing-in ceremony altogether. Sources told CNN-News18 that he was unhappy over the developments surrounding Gayathri Shantegowda’s place in the cabinet, although no official reason was cited for his absence.
DK Shivakumar’s Message
With dissent spilling into the open, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar sought to reassure disappointed legislators, saying it was “not possible to accommodate everyone” in the expanded ministry. Recalling his own political journey, Shivakumar said he too had once missed out on a cabinet berth in Siddaramaiah’s government before eventually becoming a minister. “Earlier, I too had missed out on a cabinet berth in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet. But didn’t I become a minister later? Similarly, we will ensure that everyone gets an opportunity in the future,” he said.
The Congress high command has meanwhile approved G S Patil as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, A S Ponnanna as Deputy Speaker, Saleem Ahmed as Chairman of the Legislative Council and Umashree as Deputy Chairperson.
About the Author
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a chief sub editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has …Read More
August 03, 2026, 19:04 IST
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