Karnataka cabinet expanded; 24 MLAs sworn in as ministers today

New ministers took the oath on Saturday, expanding the Karnataka Cabinet. N. Rajanna, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Sharanabasappa Darshanapur, Shivanand Patil, HK Patil, Krishna Byregowda, N Chaluvarayaswamy, K Venkateshtake, Dr. HC Mahadevappa, and Eshwar Khandre were among those who received the governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s oath of office.

The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led administration was set to swear in 24 legislators as ministers on Saturday, according to a list issued by the Congress party on Friday. The Cabinet will then have all 34 members present.

The new ministers took oath in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. Meanwhile, the supporters of Karnataka Congress leader Rudrappa Lamani’s staged a protest outside the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office demanding a ministerial post for the leader.

Siddaramaiah took oath as the Chief Minister on 20 May, along with DK Shivakumar who took oath as his deputy along with eight other ministers.

The Karnataka cabinet was expanded after the Chief Minister and Shivakumar held consultations with the party’s central leadership.

Earlier on May 24, CM Siddaramaiah arrived in Delhi to discuss Cabinet expansion with party leadership.

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.

Congress bagged 135 seats in the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly ousting the ruling BJP, which got 66 seats from the only southern state it had.