Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar in Delhi, meet Congress high command to discuss Cabinet expansion, portfolios

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar arrived in Delhi on Wednesday to hold discussions with the Congress high command regarding the expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet and the allocation of portfolios. The leaders engaged in a meeting with Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and General Secretary (in charge of Karnataka) Randeep Surjewala, which continued late into the night.

The meeting, which commenced on Wednesday at 10.30 pm, is anticipated to carry over to Thursday as both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar strive to secure significant portfolios for their loyalists, stated a report in Deccan Herald.

Cabinet Expansion and Portfolio Allocation

With a sanctioned strength of 34, the Karnataka Cabinet has witnessed a surge in aspirants vying for ministerial berths. Shivakumar, accompanied by his brother D K Suresh, expressed to reporters that he and Siddaramaiah would confer and finalize the selection of legislators to be included as ministers. Several legislators, including Laxman Savadi, Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and Laxmi Hebbalkar, have arrived in Delhi to lobby for ministerial positions.

Meetings with Congress Leadership

Upon their arrival in Delhi, Shivakumar met separately with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, and General Secretary (in charge of Karnataka) Randeep Surjewala. These discussions were aimed at garnering support and strategizing the Cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation.

Previous Cabinet Swearing-In

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were recently sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, along with eight legislators as ministers on May 20. However, the allocation of portfolios to the newly appointed ministers is still pending.