JD-S, Congress discuss Karnataka cabinet expansion
Bengaluru, May 26: Karnataka's ruling alliance partners - the JD-S and Congress - on Saturday held talks on cabinet expansion a day after Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy won the trust vote in the assembly.
"Leaders of both alliance partners met at a hotel here and discussed the cabinet expansion and portfolios to be allocated to their legislators. The talks will resume on Monday after the Congress state unit leaders return from Delhi," a Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) official told here.
As agreed by the partners, the Congress, which won 78 seats, will have 22 cabinet ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, while the JD-S, which has 36 members in the house, will have 12 ministers, including the Chief Minister.
"The state Congress leaders told Kumaraswamy that they would submit him a list of names to be made ministers after their high command clears them in Delhi by Sunday," said the official.
Only Kumaraswamy and Parmeshwara were sworn-in on Wednesday before the floor test on Friday.
"Portfolios to be shared by the alliance partners will be decided after the selection of legislators for the cabinet posts and before their swearing-in," said the official.
Kumaraswamy's elder brother and lawmaker from Holenarsipur in Hassan district H.D. Revanna and two senior JD-S leaders attended the meeting, in which former Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, party's state in-charge K.C. Venugopal and senior party leader D.K. Shivakumar participated.
The Congress leaders later left for Delhi to discuss the cabinet expansion issue with party President Rahul Gandhi, party's leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
"Legislators to be made ministers have been selected for approval by the high command. Allocation of portfolios earmarked for our party will also be decided in consultation with the high command," a Congress official told here.
The JD-S will also finalise its list of members for the cabinet posts in consultation with its supremo H.D. Deve Gowda by Monday.
As election to the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar assembly seat in Bengaluru is on Monday and vote count on May 31, the date of cabinet expansion will be decided on Tuesday.
Polling in the RR Nagar seat was postponed due to alleged electoral malpractice by Congress contestant Munirathna, who was the sitting legislator.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Former Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh passes away at 92
New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) on Thursday after his health reportedly detoriated.
According to sources, Dr. Singh was brought to the hospital's emergency department around 8 PM. However, the specific reason for his hospitalisation has not yet been disclosed.
Dr. Manmohan Singh is widely recognized for his pivotal role in steering India’s economic liberalisation as Finance Minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government from 1991 to 1996. His economic reforms during that period marked a transformative era for the Indian economy.
Serving as Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014 under the UPA government, Dr. Singh has been a towering figure in Indian politics. Until earlier this year, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha, retiring in April after decades of public service.
Former Prime Minister #ManmohanSingh passes away at the age of 92 in AIIMS Delhi pic.twitter.com/hlZqLu1NkW
— DD News (@DDNewslive) December 26, 2024
