Karnataka Cabinet to be expanded, reshuffled: Congress to induct eight

As the dominant alliance partner in the Karnataka coalition government, the ruling Congress has announced a list of eight names for being sworn in as ministers on Saturday.

The party has decided to pull out two ministers and induct eight new ministers, a party official said here.

"Our leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Siddaramaiah, has sent to Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy the names of eight party legislators to be made ministers and that of the two to be dropped from the Cabinet," the official told IANS.

As decided by the five-member coordination committee on December 5, the Congress is filling up its share of 22 berths in the 34-member ministry, with 12 being the share of its alliance partner Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).

"Kumaraswamy has submitted the list of names to State Governor Vajubhai Vala for their swearing in later in the day (5:20 p.m.) and that of the two ministers who are being dropped from the Cabinet," added the official.

Confirming the expansion-cum-reshuffle of his ministry, Kumaraswamy told reporters at Raj Bhavan that he had requested the Governor to administer the oath of office to the Congress legislators to fill its share of vacancies.

"The governor has been gracious to expand the cabinet at a short notice by holding the swearing-in ceremony today (Saturday) evening," Kumaraswamy said, but declined to say if his party (JD-S) would also fill the two vacancies of its share in the coalition ministry.

The eight probables are Satish Jarkiholi, M.B. Patil, C.S. Shivalli, M.T.B. Nagaraj, B.T. Tukaram, Rahim Khan, R.B. Thimmapur and P.T. Parameshwar Naik.

Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and Forests Minister R. Shankar are the two Congress ministers being dropped.

Ramesh Jarkiholi is the younger brother of Satish Jarkiholi from the Belagavi district in the state's northwest region.

Senior Congress legislators Ramalinga Reddy and Roshan Baig have not been considered for the cabinet posts, while another senior legislator, H.K. Patil, has been appointed chairman of the party's campaign committee.

-- IANS

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