Kumaraswamy to expand cabinet tomorrow
Bengaluru, Jun 13: The much awaited expansion of the H D Kumaraswamy-led cabinet in Karnataka, aimed at saving the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, will take place Friday afternoon,with the induction of two new Ministers expected, official sources said.
Governor Vajubhai Vala will administer the oath of office and secrecy to new members joining the State Council ofMinisters at 1.00 PM at the Raj Bhavan.
Of the total of 34 ministerial positions in Karnataka, Congress and JD(S) have shared 22 and 12 respectively according to the coalition arrangement.
Currently, three posts are vacant, two from the JD(S) and one from Congress.
"Only two new Ministers will be inducted into the cabinet tomorrow. One post will be kept vacant,"official sources said.
Independent MLA Nagesh and the lone KPJP MLA R Shankar, who are supporting the coalition, would be sworn-in on Friday, from JD(S) and Congress' share respectively, to ensure that they don't side with the BJP, sources added.
Shankar had served as Minister during the initial days of the Kumaraswamy government.
He was dropped from the cabinet during the rejig in December last year, following which he,along with Nagesh, sided with the BJP and had written to theGovernor withdrawing support to the government.
As the BJP failed in its alleged attempts to topple the coalition and form the government, the two lawmakers subsequently moved closer to the coalition.
There are voices in the coalition parties, especially Congress, against the induction of independents into the cabinet, by raising questions about their loyalty, as also about those loyal to the party not being considered.
Senior Congress leader and former assembly Speaker K B Koliwad, who was defeated by Shankar in Ranebennur, expressed reservations about his induction, calling him"opportunist".
According to reports, Shankar is likely to join Congress on becoming Minister.
Though, JD(S) state President and MLA A H Vishwanath and MLC B M Farooq's name were doing the rounds for the Minister'spost, the regional party's leadership is said to have decided to keep the post vacant for now.
The expansion, originally scheduled for June 12, was rescheduled to Friday as a three-day state mourning was in place due to the death of Jnanpith awardee writer Girish Karnad onMonday.
Routed in the Lok Sabha polls and growing disgruntlement within, the coalition leaders, after a series of negotiations had decided to go in for cabinet expansion by filling in three vacant posts.
According to sources, a cabinet rejig is also on the cards after some time, during which a few ministers will be asked to step down to make way for others, mainly disgruntled legislators.
However,an increasing number of aspirants in the Congress is worrying the coalition leaders, as it may once again lead to disgruntlement and cause disturbance for the smooth functioning of the alliance government.
The coalition leaders fear onslaught by the BJP to destabilise the government, after the saffron party won 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, leaving Congress and JD(S)to share one seat each.
A BJP supported independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh had won in Mandya.
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Accused gunman at correspondents' dinner was believed to be targeting top officials, Blanche says
Washington (AP): The accused gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives travelled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
Blanche also said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest to the hotel where one of Washington's glitziest events was being held Saturday night.
Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter have identified him to The Associated Press as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that resulted in shots being fired, President Donald Trump being hurried off the stage and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC's “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
“He failed,” Blanche said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “Law enforcement did their jobs.”
Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
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