No women included as Karnataka cabinet under DK Shivakumar gets 19 new members

Karnataka's long-awaited cabinet expansion has been completed, bringing the total number of ministers in Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's council to 33. However, the expanded cabinet notably lacks any female representation, a point of contention following the induction of 19 new ministers on Monday.

The new list includes a mix of experienced legislators and first-time ministers. Despite the inclusion of seasoned politicians, the final selection process involved last-minute changes. MLC Gayathri Shanthegowda, initially slated for a position, was dropped at the last moment, leaving the cabinet without a woman minister. Sources suggest this decision may have stemmed from concerns raised by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah regarding consultation on appointments.

The expansion aimed to maintain social balance, with significant representation from Lingayat and Scheduled Caste communities, alongside Vokkaligas. Muslim representation also saw an increase. However, the process has not been without dissent. Several Congress MLAs expressed dissatisfaction after being excluded from the ministerial berths. Indi MLA Yashavantarayagouda Patil submitted his resignation from his legislative post, and Sagar MLA Belur Gopalakrishna indicated his intention to resign as well.

Notable figures left out of the cabinet include senior Congress leaders such as HC Mahadevappa, HK Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, K Venkatesh, MC Sudhakar, and Laxmi Hebbalkar. The exclusion of these prominent leaders, coupled with the complete absence of women, has cast a shadow over the cabinet expansion, highlighting internal party dynamics and potential challenges ahead for the Shivakumar-led government.