With the induction of four legislators into the Cabinet on Thursday, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government now has a full quota of 34 Ministers.
After a long wait, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara, a Dalit, became a Minister but without getting the Deputy Chief Minister’s post he was aspiring for. Manohar H. Tahasildar (Hanagal), A. Manju (Arkalgud) and Vinay Kulkarni (Dharwad) were the others who were sworn in as Ministers. The portfolios are likely to be allocated to the new Ministers on Friday.
Governor Vajubhai R. Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to them in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and several Cabinet Ministers at the Raj Bhavan. While Dr. Parameshwara and Mr. Tahasildar joined as Cabinet rank Ministers, Mr. Manju and Mr. Kulkarni are Ministers of State with Independent Charge. While Mr. Manju took oath in the name of his mother, the others took oath in the name of God, amidst cheers from the crowd.
Efforts had been made to balance the community and regional representation in the process of ministerial expansion as Mr. Manju and Mr. Kulkarni belong to the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities respectively, and Mr. Tahasildar is from the backward Balija caste.
Dr. Parameshwara, who has served as Minister twice, heads a group of educational institutions. A four-time legislator and a doctorate degree-holder, he led the party to victory in the 2013 Assembly polls as KPCC president but lost the elections in 2013. He is currently a member of the Upper House.
The move to fill the four vacant ministerial berths came after the Congress high command gave the green signal to Mr. Siddaramaiah, who has been postponing the exercise citing one or the other reason for the last two years.
To mollify disgruntled ministerial aspirants, Mr. Siddaramaiah is expected to appoint several party legislators as Parliamentary secretaries with Cabinet rank.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, who has been reportedly aspiring to become Minister, did not attend the swearing-in function. Major leaders from the BJP and JD(S) too abstained from the programme.
Senior Congress MLAs Basavaraja Rayareddy, K.B. Koliwad and K. Shivamurthy, who have been aspiring ministerial berths, attended. The function was witnessed by family members and relatives of the new Ministers and supporters.
