The long-anticipated expansion of the Karnataka cabinet appears to be on the verge of completion and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah are in discussions with party leadership in New Delhi. The meeting has raised speculation about the induction of new ministers in what is a move to increase women's involvement and get them into the state government.
Right now, the Congress government of Karnataka has 14 ministers, and 20 vacancies in the cabinet out of 34 sanctioned by the government. Party leaders have indicated that the expansion is expected to take place before the Karnataka Assembly's upcoming session, scheduled to begin on August 6.
The Delhi meeting was attended by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Surjewala. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge could not attend as he had to leave for Karnataka due to previous commitments.
DK Shivakumar told the meeting that discussions about the cabinet expansion have begun and he did not give details on specific details.
"We have come here for cabinet expansion and we have held discussions. They have told me what needs to be told," Shivakumar said.
Women Ministers Most Likely to Get Priority
The most important talking point for the cabinet expansion is the likely inclusion of women ministers. The Karnataka cabinet today has no single woman minister, so this is a political and organizational issue which Congress leadership is very much concerned about.
According to sources, Laxmi Hebbalkar is among the frontrunners for induction into the cabinet. The party leadership would like to expand the gender representation and reward leaders that have been active in building the party in the state.
Younger legislators will also have opportunities, as the Congress will have to balance experience with new leadership as women leaders come to power.
Social Balance to Guide Selection
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said the selection of new ministers would be based on multiple factors including regional representation, caste equations, religious diversity, and political performance.
"The discussions have begun. These are preliminary talks and very soon there will be an expansion of the Karnataka cabinet," Surjewala told reporters after the meeting.
He also said that they are working on filling all the big vacancies before the Assembly sessions are held next month.
The Congress leadership should balance representation from different communities and regions in order to build its political base in Karnataka.
Speaker and Deputy Chairperson Posts Also Under Discussion
Besides the appointment of new ministers, the leadership is also discussing appointments to some of the key constitutional posts.
The position of Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly was vacant after UT Khader joined the cabinet as Health Minister. The government is also expected to fill the vacant post of Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council during the upcoming reshuffle.
These appointments are important in the run-up to the Assembly session, when the government will be confronted with opposition to several policy and governance issues.
Expansion Ahead of Assembly Session
While the Assembly session starts on August 6, Congress leaders want the cabinet to be fully functional before legislators return to the House. Also, with the expansion, administrative efficiency would be increased by the sharing of responsibilities across many ministers.
Political pundits feel that the rearrangement would not only help to deal with governance but also have a sense of inclusion for women, youth leaders, and various social groups.
While the final list of ministers is not yet available, Delhi meetings indicate that the Congress leadership has entered the final phase of consultations. The cabinet expansion will be made public in the coming days and can change Karnataka's political configuration before the Assembly session.
