Kumaraswamy ministry expanded, 25 ministers take oath

Bengaluru: The 15-day-old H D Kumaraswamy ministry in Karnataka was expanded today with the induction of 25 ministers.

Fourteen ministers are from the Congress, nine from its ruling coalition partner JDS and one each from the BSP and the KPJP.

Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan.

State senior Congress leaders D K Shivakumar also who took the oath. JDS’ G T Deve Gowda, who had emerged as a giant killer defeating former chief minister Siddaramaiah in Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru in the assembly polls was also inducted.

Congress MLC Jayamala was the lone woman minister. Under the power sharing arrangement, Congress will have 22 ministers and the JDS 12.

H.D Revanna of JD(S), brother of Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy, is the first person to take oath. Mr. Revanna, who was firm on getting both Energy and Public Works Department (PWD) — has settled for just PWD. 

The following leaders swore-in as ministers today: Bandeppa Kashampur of JD(S), K J George of Congress, D C Thammanna of JD(S), Krishna Byregowda of Congress, M C Managuli, JD(S) MLA from Sindagi, N H Shivashankara Reddy of Congress, S R Srinivas of JD(S), Ramesh Jarkiholi of Congress, Venkatrao Nadagouda of JD(S), Priyank Kharge of Congress, JD(S) leader C S Puttaraju, Mangaluru (Ullal) MLA U T Khader of Congress, Zameer Ahmed Khan of Congress, N Mahesh from BSP, Shivanand Patil of Congress, Venkataramanappa of Congress, Rajashekar Patil of Congress, Puttarangashetty of Congress, R Shankar of KPJP and Dr Jayamala Ramachandra of Congress.

With today’s expansion, the strength of the ministry has gone up to 27, leaving seven more vacancies to be filled.

Kumaraswamy had taken oath as chief minister and KPCC chief G Parameshwara as deputy chief minister on May 23.