Karnataka cabinet expansion ends speculation, 19 legislators take oath as ministers
New Delhi: The Karnataka government has brought an end to prolonged speculation over its Cabinet expansion, with the swearing-in ceremony of new ministers concluded at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The Cabinet reshuffle comes after days of political discussions that unfolded alongside debates over the Cauvery water-sharing issue and flood-related challenges in the state. Senior Congress leaders held a series of meetings in New Delhi before finalising the expansion.
The exercise witnessed intense lobbying among legislators, with factors such as regional representation, caste balance, and accommodating senior party leaders playing a key role in the final selection. Although the Chief Minister’s Office had reportedly conveyed verbal information regarding the expansion to Raj Bhavan earlier, no formal written communication had been issued until the final list was approved.
The legislators inducted into the Karnataka Cabinet are:
- PM Narayanaswamy
- Shivaraj Tangadagi
- Rudrappa Lamani
- T. Raghumoorthy
- B. Nagendra
- Zameer Ahmed Khan
- Rizwan Arshad
- Santosh Lad
- Madhu Bangarappa
- Puttarangashetty
- Mankal Vaidya
- Ajay Singh
- N. Cheluvarayaswamy
- M. Shivalingegowda
- H.C. Balakrishna
- Shanthaveeragowda
- Vijayanand Kashappanavar
- Laxman Savadi
- Basavaraj Rayareddy
With the long-awaited Cabinet expansion now finalised, attention will shift to the allocation of portfolios, which is expected to determine the government’s administrative priorities and political balance in the coming days. The distribution of key departments will be closely watched as the newly inducted ministers assume office.