Karnataka Cabinet expansion: 24 MLAs to be sworn in as ministers today

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to expand his Cabinet on Saturday, a week after taking charge. He is expected to induct 24 new ministers.

The list of ministers to take oath on Saturday includes HK Patil, Krishna Byregowda, N Cheluvarayaswamy, K Venkatesh, HC Mahadevappa, Eshwar Khandre, Kyathasandra N Rajanna, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, Shivanand Patil, Timmapur Ramappa Balappa, SS Mallikarjun, Tangadagi Shivaraj Sangappa, Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil, Mankal Vaidya, Laxmi R Hebbalkar, Rahim Khan, D Sudhakar, Santosh S Lad, NS Boseraju, Suresha BS, Madhu Bangarappa, MC Sudhakar, B Nagendra.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met on Friday Congress Parliamentary Party president Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi separately in Delhi  to discuss the Cabinet expansion.

The leaders have met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party general secretares Randeep Surjewala (Karnataka) and K.C. Venugopal (organisation).

The discussion on names for Cabinet expansion took place amid news of differences between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar who are believed to be pushing the case of MLAs close to them.

Sources said Siddaramaiah assured Mrs Gandhi of delivering on poll promises and providing good governance in Karnataka.

On May 18, CM Siddaramaiah was elected unanimously as the CLP leader in Karnataka, after the Congress party finalised its CM candidate after days of deliberation following a landslide victory in Karnataka. Siddaramaiah took oath as the Chief Minister on May 20, along with DK Shivakumar who took oath as his deputy and the other eight ministers.