Bengaluru: 24 MLAs took oath as the cabinet ministers of the Siddaramiah led government in Karnataka on Saturday. This moves comes a week after CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM Shivakumar, and eight other ministers were sworn in. With this cabinet expansion, the total strength of the cabinet will reach 34, which is the maximum number allowed by law.
This development follows intense discussions held by both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar with the party high command in the national capital over the past three days. The cabinet expansion aims to ensure broader representation and accommodate more legislators within the state government.
Out of the 24 legislators who have taken as ministers in the Karnataka cabinet, 23 are Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), while N.S. Boseraju is not a member of either House of the Karnataka legislature. This inclusion of a non-legislator adds an interesting dynamic to the cabinet composition.
The expanded cabinet, now consisting of 34 members, exhibits a diverse representation of various communities and castes. Among the ministers, there are six Vokkaligas, eight Veerashaiva-Lingayats, six members from Other Backward Classes (OBCs), six from Scheduled Castes (SCs), three from Scheduled Tribes (STs), two Muslims, and one each from the Jain, Brahmin, and Christian communities. This diverse representation aims to ensure inclusivity and address the interests and concerns of different sections of the society.
BK Hariprasad, Member of Legislative Council and Senior Leader, expressed his feelings after being denied the berth. Such developments within the party reflect the challenges of balancing power dynamics and accommodating various aspirations within a limited number of ministerial positions.