- Last-minute changes caused significant drama in cabinet list.
- MLA Yashwant Rayagouda Patil resigned over cabinet exclusion.
- CM DK Shivakumar reportedly unhappy with final minister list.
Karnataka Cabinet Expansion: A massive controversy erupted after the DK Shivakumar-led Congress government announced cabinet expansion in Karnataka on Monday. The list was prepared after around 60 days of negotiations with the All-India Congress Committee (AICC). However, last-minute changes, internal resentment, and objections from party leaders and supporters have raised multiple questions.
Last Minute Changes
The southern state witnessed huge drama earlier on Monday after the AICC released a list of 20 ministers, leading to last-minute changes. The first list included Mankal Vaidya's name; however, a revised list was released shortly, replacing him with SS Mallikarjuna. The senior Congress leader had also served as a minister in the previous Siddaramaiah government.
The confusion continued after Gayatri Shanthegowda, the only woman minister on the 20-member list, did not take the oath at the ceremony held at Lok Bhawan. The reports suggest that Shanthegowda did not receive a call from the chief minister to attend the ceremony. She is likely to be replaced by any senior party leader, raising questions about the final cabinet composition.
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Congress MLA Resigns
The controversy escalated after MLA Yashwant Rayagouda Patil submitted his resignation after being denied a cabinet berth. Apart from this, the reports also suggested that other party MLAs, including Belur Gopalakrishna, are also considering a similar move. The supporters of MLAs Priya Krishna and Tanveer Sait protested after their leaders were not included in the cabinet.
"It is disappointing that after so many years of service to the state and the party, I have not been given the opportunity to serve the government in this cabinet. I am disappointed that these decisions were taken without providing any reason for my exclusion. Despite this, I will continue to work for the betterment of my people and Karnataka," MLA Gundu Rao said in a social media post.
Shivakumar Unhappy?
The sources have also revealed that Chief Minister DK Shivakumar himself was unhappy with many names included in the final list approved by the AICC.