Rahul Gandhi clears Karnataka cabinet expansion today, ally JD(S) to skip

Bengaluru: The expansion and reshuffle of the six-month-old HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition cabinet in Karnataka will take place in Bengaluru on Saturday evening.

Two ministers - Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipal Administration) and R Shankar (Forest and Environment) - are likely to be dropped, official sources said.

The new ministers would be sworn in at 5:20 pm by Governor Vajubhai Vala at Raj Bhavan, the sources told news agency Press Trust of India.

According to a statement issued by the office of Congress Legislature Party Leader Siddaramaiah, Satish Jarkiholi, MB Patil, CS Shivalli, MTB Nagaraj, E Tukaram, PT Parameshwar Naik, Rahim Khan and RB Thimmapur would be inducted into the state cabinet.

The press statement came a day after the names were cleared by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi, after meeting party General Secretary in charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal, CLP leader Siddarmaiah, Pradesh Congress Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara gave the go-ahead on Friday night.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has allegedly been meeting BJP leaders and not attending cabinet and party meetings is being replaced by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.

R Shankar is an Independent lawmaker who is being dropped reportedly over his reluctance to be an associate member of the Congress.

However, Congress' coalition partner JD(S) will not be part of this round of cabinet expansion, and is likely to induct new ministers from its side post Sankranthi, sources told news agency PTI.

According to the agreement reached between the two partners at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, there are now six vacant ministerial positions left for the Congress and two for the JD(S).

This would be the second expansion in the ministry.

With the cabinet expansion exercise being deferred repeatedly, several aspirants, especially those from the Congress, had openly expressed their displeasure.

Despite reiteration by Congress leaders that the expansion would take place on the scheduled date (December 22), party MLAs were sceptical about it happening till the Lok Sabha polls next year. Some of them have even cited "Shoonya Masa" that is considered inauspicious, as the reason.

Along with cabinet expansion, appointment of MLAs as heads to boards and corporations, and parliamentary secretaries to ministers would also be made on Saturday, the source told PTI.

Congress leaders V Muniappa has been finalised as political secretary to the Chief Minister and Ajay Singh as state representative in the national capital, sources said, adding Sharanabasappa Darshanapur has been nominated as the Deputy Chairman of state planning commission.

Meanwhile, some in the state Congress are unhappy as a few senior aspirants are not being considered for the ministerial posts.

Sowmya Reddy (MLA), daughter of senior Congress legislator and former Minister Ramalinga Reddy, has expressed her resentment over her father not being considered for the post, pointing out his contribution for the growth of the party in Bengaluru city. She has also declined to accept Parliamentary Secretary post that has been offered to her.

Another aspirant and Hirekerur MLA BC Patil is also unhappy over not being considered for any ministerial post.