Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday urged aspiring MLAs to be patient over the long-pending cabinet expansion, recalling his own experience
of being left out of ministerial posts in 2004 and later in Siddaramaiah's cabinet before eventually rising to become Chief Minister. Two months after assuming charge as the Chief Minister, Shivakumar will expand his Cabinet on Monday by appointing 20 ministers. The swearing-in of the new ministers will take place at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru by 5 pm. "There are many aspirants for ministerial posts. I was not made a minister in 2004, nor was I included in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet. I remained patient, and it was because of that patience that I became the Chief Minister. If you remain patient, you will get a suitable position. Many MLAs are deserving, and the party has taken a decision. Everyone will get an opportunity, and we will create opportunities for suitable positions in the future. I am now going to the Raj Bhavan," Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar said. Shivakumar was sworn-in as the chief minister along with 13 ministers on June 3, following Siddaramaiah's resignation as CM on May 28. The sanctioned strength of Karnataka's ministry is 34, including the CM. This expansion takes the Cabinet to its full capacity. The names approved by the Congress high command are: P M Narendraswamy (Malavalli), Shivaraj Tangadagi (Kanakagiri), Rudrappa Lamani (Haveri), K S Basavanthappa (Mayakonda), B Nagendra (Ballari rural), T Raghumoourthy (Challakere), B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet), Rizwan Arshad (Shivajinagar), Santosh Lad (Kalaghatagi), Madhu Bangarappa (Soraba). Putturangashetty (Chamarajanagara), S S Mallikarjun (Davangere North), Ajay Singh (Jevargi), N Chaluvaraya Swamy (Nagamangala), K M Shivalinge Gowda (Arasikere), H C Balakrishna (Magadi), Gayathri Shanthegowda (Chikkamagaluru MLC), Basvaraj Rayareddi (Yelaburga), Vijayanand Kashappanavar (Bagalakote), and Laxman Savadi (Athani) are also on the list. Interestingly, several senior legislators who were part of Siddaramaiah's Cabinet, including H C Mahadevappa, H K Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, K Venkatesh, M C Sudhakar, Laxmi Hebbalkar have been left out. (With PTI inputs)
