Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar left for New Delhi on Wednesday and both are expected to meet the Congress high command and discuss Cabinet expansion on Thursday. They are also expected to talk about allocation of portfolios to the existing Ministers.
With loyalist MLAs
Both have left in separate flights to the national capital with their own loyal MLAs.
Congress sources said that the party high command approved the first list of eight Ministers, against the earlier plan of inducting more than a two dozen legislators into the Cabinet, as there were allegedly differences between Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar over some names, during the discussions held in New Delhi last week, ahead of the swearing in.
Slew of meetings
Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar are expected to meet AICC chief M. Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala, K.C. Venugopal and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and discuss issues related to the expansion of the Cabinet and portfolios.
With a large number of MLAs and MLCs aspiring to become Ministers, striking a balance between all communities, regions, factions, and also from among the old and new legislators, is the daunting task before Mr. Siddaramaiah. The 135-strong mandate represents a broad rainbow social coalition.
Allocation awaited
The sanctioned strength of the Karnataka Cabinet is 34, including the Chief Minister. Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar were sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, along with eight legislators as Ministers on May 20. Portfolios have not been allocated to the Ministers since then and is expected to happen only after Cabinet expansion.
