The Congress high command is expected to settle the long delayed expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet by Sunday night, clearing the way for a swearing in ceremony likely to be held on Monday, state Congress leaders said after a series of discussions in New Delhi.
Event Context
He said chief minister DK Shivakumar, former chief minister Siddaramaiah and senior Congress leaders had held several rounds of discussions on the expansion.
After the meeting, Gandhi asked the Karnataka leaders to return to Bengaluru and said the final list would be sent on Sunday night. Shivakumar indicated that he preferred the swearing in ceremony to be held Monday. Basavaraj Rayareddy, a former minister and a close aide of Siddaramaiah, said the talks had ended positively and that Monday was the most likely date for the ceremony.
Team Analysis
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president BK Hariprasad said the consultations were effectively complete and that the party was now awaiting a decision from the central leadership. “We have written the exam, and now we are waiting for the results,” Hariprasad, a KPCC president and MLC, told reporters.
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Shivakumar, Hariprasad said, would decide the timing of the swearing in after considering the almanac and what he described as auspicious hours.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi held a detailed hour-long meeting with Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Hariprasad, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and Karnataka in charge general secretary Randeep Surjewala. State leaders presented a list of legislators being considered for ministerial positions, and the central leadership discussed the names individually.
Siddaramaiah argued that the selection should give priority to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minority communities. Shivakumar sought what party leaders described as a broader balance, including younger legislators, major communities and groups that have had less representation.
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The chief minister also argued that the composition of the ministry should be considered with the 2028 Assembly election in mind.
The leadership also considered appointments to the posts of Assembly Speaker, Legislative Council chairman and chief whips in both Houses. The nomination of five seats in the Legislative Council was discussed as well. The Karnataka council of ministers can have 34 members, including the chief minister. Only 14 ministers are currently in place, leaving 20 positions unfilled. The prolonged vacancy has led to sustained lobbying by Congress legislators seeking induction into the government.
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Match Outlook
The final list of ministers is expected to reflect the party’s calculations on caste, religion, regional representation and the balance between younger leaders, major communities and groups that remain underrepresented. Congress leaders also discussed whether to leave three or four ministerial positions vacant until the completion of Gram Panchayat and other local body elections.
