Updated On: 03 Aug 2026
BENGALURU: In a major political exercise aimed at balancing regional, caste, and factional equations, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expanded his council of ministers on Monday, with 19 Congress leaders taking the oath of office at the Raj Bhavan. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new inductees.
With this expansion, the strength of the Karnataka cabinet has risen to 33, just one short of its sanctioned maximum capacity of 34 ministers. Shivakumar was previously sworn in as Chief Minister on June 3 alongside 13 ministers, following Siddaramaiah’s resignation from the top post on May 28.
Balancing Factions and Social Equations
The expansion, delayed after initial reports suggested a July 31 date, followed intense deliberations in New Delhi among the party’s central and state leadership. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Rahul Gandhi, CM Shivakumar, former CM Siddaramaiah, AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Karnataka General Secretary in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, and KPCC President B.K. Hariprasad were all directly involved in carefully assessing social, religious, and regional representations.
The political maneuvering comes at a crucial juncture for the Karnataka Congress, as the party seeks to maintain equilibrium between loyalists of Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah—especially after the latter recently announced he would not contest the 2028 state assembly elections.
High Drama Over the Final List
The swearing-in ceremony, scheduled for 4:05 PM at Raj Bhavan, was preceded by high drama over the final candidate roster. An initial list of 20 names approved by the high command included Bhatkal MLA Mankal Vaidya. However, roughly an hour before the ceremony, the party dropped Vaidya’s name and replaced it with S.S. Mallikarjun, attributing the change to a “typing error.”
While MLC Gayathri Shanthegowda was included in the party leadership’s initial 20-member clearance list, a total of 19 ministers ultimately took the oath during Monday’s ceremony.
The New Cabinet Members
The 19 leaders sworn in as ministers include key party figures and prominent regional representatives:
- M. Narendraswamy (Malavalli)
- Shivaraj Tangadagi (Kanakagiri)
- Rudrappa Lamani (Haveri)
- S. Basavanthappa (Mayakonda)
- Nagendra (Ballari Rural)
- Raghumoorthy (Challakere)
- Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet)
- Rizwan Arshad (Shivajinagar)
- Santosh Lad (Kalaghatagi)
- Madhu Bangarappa (Soraba)
- Putturangashetty (Chamarajanagara)
- S. Mallikarjun (Davangere North)
- Ajay Singh (Jevargi)
- Chaluvaraya Swamy (Nagamangala)
- M. Shivalinge Gowda (Arasikere)
- C. Balakrishna (Magadi)
- Basvaraj Rayareddi (Yelaburga)
- Vijayanand Kashappanavar (Bagalakote)
- Laxman Savadi (Athani)
New Speaker Nominated
Alongside the cabinet expansion, the Congress high command officially approved the nomination of G.S. Patil as the next Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The post fell vacant after former Speaker U.T. Khader was inducted into the Shivakumar cabinet as the Health Minister during the initial swearing-in ceremony in June.
