Shivakumar urges patience as Congress faces backlash over Karnataka Cabinet

The long-awaited Karnataka Cabinet expansion finally materialised on Monday, but was marred by disgruntlement among the ruling Congress legislators. While many ministerial aspirants who could not get a offered to resign, their supporters staged protests in different parts of the State.

“I’m sitting in this position because I remained patient. I request everyone to be patient. We will create some opportunity for everyone. Please be patient,” said Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Earlier in the day, AICC general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal sent a communication to Shivakumar regarding the Congress high command’s approval of 20 names to be inducted into the Cabinet.

“There are many legislators, many of them are eligible; I’m not denying that. The party has to make decisions in some situations. I too was not considered for the minister post in 2004; during the Siddaramaiah Government too (in 2013-18) I was not taken into the Cabinet initially. I remained patient,” the CM added.

Two months after assuming charge as the CM of Karnataka, Shivakumar expanded his Cabinet on Monday by inducting 19 ministers. The sanctioned strength of Karnataka’s ministry is 34, including the CM. Six of these 19 new ministers to be inducted were part of the previous Government led by Siddaramaiah.

Unhappy over being excluded from the Cabinet expansion, Congress MLA from Indi, Yashavantarayagouda V Patil submitted his resignation from his legislative post on Monday.

Sagara MLA Belur Gopalakrishna also expressed his displeasure and his intention to resign. “It looks like only the influential and children of ex-CMs and senior leaders get prominence, not common legislators. I feel that... I’m hurt, I’m going to resign tomorrow from the MLA post,” he said.

In Mysuru, supporters of senior MLA Tanveer Sait staged a road blockade on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Road, protesting against their leader being denied a ministerial position. The protesters sat on the road, demanding justice. The demonstration caused a traffic jam. Police detained the protesters.

Speaking to reporters, Sait questioned the basis on which this Cabinet has been expanded. He said he will call a meeting of his supporters and well-wishers soon and decide on the future course of action. Alleging that the party has failed him, he said that those who openly engaged in anti-party activities and challenged the party have been rewarded.

In Bengaluru, supporters of Govindarajanagar MLA Priya Krisha staged protests, shouting slogans demanding justice.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to new Ministers in a ceremony held at the Lok Bhavan premises here.

The Congress legislators, who were sworn-in as ministers, are P M Narendraswamy (Malavalli), Shivaraj Tangadagi (Kanakagiri), Rudrappa Lamani (Haveri), K S Basavanthappa (Mayakonda), B Nagendra (Ballari rural), T Raghumurthy (Challakere), B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet), Rizwan Arshad (Shivajinagar), Santosh Lad (Kalaghatagi), Madhu Bangarappa (Soraba), Putturangashetty (Chamarajanagara), and S S Mallikarjun (Davangere North).

Ajay Singh (Jevargi), N Chaluvaraya Swamy (Nagamangala), K M Shivalinge Gowda (Arasikere), H C Balakrishna (Magadi), Basvaraj Rayareddi (Yelaburga), Vijayanand Kashappanavar (Bagalakote), and Laxman Savadi (Athani) also took oath.

However, Gayathri Shanthegowda, whose name was on the final list cleared by the Congress high command, was not sworn in on Monday, leaving the Karnataka Cabinet without a woman minister.

Interestingly, several senior legislators who were part of Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet, including H C Mahadevappa, H K Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, K Venkatesh, M C Sudhakar, Laxmi Hebbalkar, have been left out.