Kathmandu— On Monday, newly inducted MLAs in the Karnataka cabinet met former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru before their swearing-in ceremony. The Congress high command approved the induction of 20 ministers, including Basavaraj Rayareddi and Rizwan Arshad, with Gayathri Shanthegowda being the sole woman minister.

Cabinet Expansion Details

The expansion includes a mix of new faces and returning ministers. Among those newly appointed are PM Narendraswamy, KS Basavanthappa, T Raghumoorthy, Putturangashetty, Ajay Singh, and Gayathri Shanthegowda. The list also features several former ministers making a return to the Council of Ministers.

Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad expressed gratitude towards party leadership for this opportunity, particularly highlighting Rahul Gandhi's preference for younger individuals in key positions.

Key Legislative Appointments

Alongside cabinet appointments, the Congress high command also approved several key positions within the Karnataka Legislature. G S Patil was cleared for the post of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, A S 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.