Karnataka Cabinet to be expanded on January 25

The Karnataka cabinet will be expanded on January 25 with the induction of two members each from coalition partners JD (S) and BJP, taking the total strength of the coalition Ministry to 34 from the existing 30.

Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said the swearing-in ceremony has been scheduled for January 25, before the start of the legislature session the same day. “We will have a full-fledged Ministry after the expansion”, Kumaraswamy said.

Though each of the coalition partners is entitled to having 17 members in the ministry, the JD (S) and BJP have only fifteen members each. The expansion of the coalition ministry into full-fledged one had been delayed on various counts. “There will be no further delay”, Kumaraswamy assured reporters yesterday.

However, the Chief Minister indicated that there might be no room yet for a woman in the coalition cabinet. “We have given women prominence in various government schemes like distribution of cycles for girl child and Stree Shakti programmes”, Kumaraswamy said when asked whether there was any proposal to induct a woman in the coalition cabinet.

The H D Kumaraswamy-led JD (S)-BJP coalition has already come under fire from the Opposition and women’s groups for its failure to give representation to women in its ministry.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy said the Government will also set into motion the process of making appointments to posts of members and chairpersons to various state-run boards and corporations, which has been hanging fire for a long time. “The process of making appointments to boards and corporations will also start from January 25”, he said.