Karnataka Cabinet to be expanded

Karnataka Chief Minister K. Siddaramaiah will expand his ministry on Saturday, amid demands that "tainted" legislators be kept out.

According to one television channel, Congress Lok Sabha member A.H. Vishwanath from Mysore and 95-year-old freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy, are among many who have been strident in their call to induct party legislators with clean image into the state cabinet.

Doreswamy was among the first group of people that Siddaramaiah called on in Bangalore after taking oath as chief minister four days ago.

He also met well-known writers such as U.R. Anantha Murthy, Girish Karnad and Chandrashekar Kambar, all Jnanpith Award winners.

Siddaramaiah has met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders to finalise the names of legislators to be made ministers.

He returned to Bangalore via Mysore, where he had gone for some personal work.

Soon after taking oath on may 13, Siddaramaiah had told reporters here his ministry would have people with "clean image".

On Saturday, around 20 legislators are expected to be sworn-in by Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj at a function in Raj Bhavan in the city centre.

Under the constitutional arrangement, Karnataka can have a 34-member ministry, including the chief minister - that is 15 percent of the strength of the assembly which has 225-members, including one nominated.

The Congress has won 121 seats of the 223 for which polls were held May 5 and results announced May 8.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, whose maiden rule since 2008 was marred by sex, corruption and illegal land deal scandals and dissidence, suffered a crushing defeat, and the party won just 40 seats.

The third major political party, the Janata Dal-Secular, also won 40 seats while the remaining seats were taken by small parties and Independents.

Voting for one seat, where polling was countermanded following a candidate's death, will take place on May 28 .