Kathmandu— Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of Karnataka has expanded his cabinet, adding 20 new leaders to reflect a broader social and regional representation across the state. The expansion retains key communities such as Lingayat, Vokkaliga, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and minority groups like Muslims.

Balanced Representation Across Communities

The new cabinet includes seven SC ministers, marking a first for Karnataka. Three are from the SC (Right) category, two from SC (Left), one Lambani representative, and one Bhovi representative. Additionally, there are three ST ministers and four key positions held by members of the Muslim community—three Cabinet ministers and the Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council.

Omissions Spark Discussion

Several senior Congress leaders did not make it into the expanded ministry, including HK Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Shivanand Patil, and others. Their exclusion has sparked discussions about balancing experience with community-based allocation of ministerial berths. Party officials have indicated that those left out will be assigned appropriate responsibilities within the party or government.

Key Appointments in Legislature

Alongside cabinet appointments, key positions in the Karnataka Legislature were also approved. G. S. Patil was cleared for the post of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, AS Ponnanna for Deputy Speaker, Saleem Ahmed for Chairperson of the Legislative Council, and Umashree for Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.