Know your minister: A look at the 24 MLAs sworn-in to the Karnataka cabinet today
Bengaluru (PTI): Within a week of assuming power, the Congress government in Karnataka has expanded its cabinet on Saturday, filling all posts.
Among those who got ministerial posts include sons of two former chief ministers -- R Gundu Rao's son Dinesh Gundu Rao and S Bangarappa's son Madhu Bangarappa.
The party also gave a chance to several former ministers and veteran Congress leaders in its second list.
Here is a brief description of the 24 ministers who took the oath of office and secrecy on Saturday:
► H K Patil is a staunch Congress man and a seasoned politician. The 69-year-old MLA was elected from Gadag constituency. He has held portfolios of textile, water resources, agriculture, law and parliamentary affairs as well as rural development and panchayat raj. He comes from a political family; his father K H Patil was also an MLA from the same constituency.
►Krishna Byre Gowda is a five-time MLA twice from Vemgal in Kolar and thrice from Byatarayanapura in Bengaluru city. The 50-year-old legislator was a minister for rural development and panchayat raj. He also held the portfolio of agriculture, and law and parliamentary affairs. He holds an MA in international affairs from the School of International Service at American University in Washington DC.
►N Cheluvarayaswamy switched from JD(S) to Congress in 2018 ahead of the Assembly elections. He lost that election. He is a four-time MLA from Nagamangala. He was a Lok Sabha member in 2009 but resigned in 2013 to contest in the Assembly poll on a JD(S) ticket from his favourite seat Nagamangala.
►K Venkatesh is a five-time MLA from Periyapatna. The 75-year-old Congress MLA was previously with the Janata Dal. He later joined the Congress and became an MLA in 2013. In 2018, he lost to K Mahadeva of the JD(S). He bounced back by winning the recent 2023 election.
►Dr H C Mahadevappa is an MBBS doctor from JJM Medical College. Belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, the 70-year-old MLA from T Narasipur was previously with the JD(S) and switched over to the Congress. He was the Public Works Minister in the previous Siddaramaiah government.
►Congress working president Eshwar Khandre comes from a political family. His father Bheemanna Khandre was also a minister in the Karnataka government. The 61-year-old leader is an engineering graduate and also a four-time MLA from Bhalki in Bidar constituency.
►Former state Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao comes from an illustrious family. His father late R Gundu Rao was the chief minister from 1980 to 1983. A BE from BMS College, Rao continued his winning streak without any break for the sixth time in 2023. He was the food and civil supplies minister from 2015 to 2016.
►Kyathasandra N Rajanna is a 72-year-old leader from the Scheduled Tribe community. He is an advocate and agriculturist. He was elected as MLA once from Madhugiri Assembly constituency in 2013.
►Sharanabasappa Darshanapur is a five-time MLA from Shahapur constituency in Yadgir district. The 62-year-old leader is a BE graduate in civil engineering. His father Bapugouda Darshanapur was a three-time MLA from Shahapur and was also a minister in the Karnataka government.
►Shivanand Patil, a four-time MLA from Basavana Bagewadi, was minister for health and family welfare from 2018 to 2019 in the coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy.
►Ramappa Balappa Timmapur is a three-time MLA from Mudhol. In 2023, he won by defeating sitting minister Govind Karjol, who was a five-time MLA from the same constituency. Timmapur was the minister for sugar, port and inland transport of Karnataka.
►S S Mallikarjun is an educationist who won the election from Davangere North. He is the son of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, the 92-year-old MLA from Davangere South. He is also the chairman of the prestigious SS Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre, Davangere.
►The 52-year-old MLA Shivaraj Sangappa Tangadagi is a three-time MLA from Kanakagiri constituency in Koppal district.
►Dr Sharanaprakash Patil is a doctor by profession and a four-time MLA from Sedam constituency in Kalaburagi district.
►Mankal S Vaidya was elected twice from Bhatkal-Honnavar constituency in the coastal district of Uttara Kannada.
►Laxmi Hebbalkar is a 48-year-old MLA from Belagavi rural. She won from the constituency for the second time. She is considered to be close to deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar.
►Rahim Khan, the 57-year-old MLA from Bidar North constituency, was the youth empowerment and sports minister in the coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy.
►D Sudhakar is a three-time MLA from Hiriyur in Chitradurga district. The 62-year-old Congress legislator had served as minister for social welfare of Karnataka from 2008 to 2009.
►Santosh Lad is an MLA from Kalghatgi constituency in Dharwad district. The 48-year-old holds a BCom and comes from a business family.
►N S Boseraju, a Congress national secretary, is not a member of legislative council or the legislative assembly. He is considered to be close to the Congress high command. His candidature was finalised in the last minute after much deliberation.
►Suresha B S is a two-time MLA who made it to the Karnataka cabinet.
►Madhu Bangarappa is the son of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa. Previously associated with JD(S), the 56-year-old legislator the 2023 Assembly election by defeating his brother Kumar Bangarappa of the BJP from Soraba assembly constituency in Shivamogga district.
►Dr M C Sudhakar is an MLA from Chintamani Assembly constituency in Chikkaballapura district. The 54-year-old legislator made it to the Karnataka Assembly for a third time. He is a dental surgeon.
►B Nagendra is a Congress MLA from Ballari constituency. He is a 'giant killer' who defeated former minister B Sriramulu in the recently concluded Assembly election from Ballari Rural constituency.
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Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
