Following the swearing-in of D K Shivakumar as Karnataka Chief Minister, portfolios have been allocated to the 14-member Cabinet, including the Chief Minister. The list has been forwarded to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for formal notification.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will retain key departments, including Finance, Cabinet Affairs, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), Intelligence, and all portfolios not specifically assigned to other ministers.
In a significant move, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah, has been entrusted with the Urban Development portfolio in his first ministerial assignment. He will oversee the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), all Urban Development Authorities except the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), and the Commissionerate of Town and Country Planning.
Congress leader Priyank Kharge has been assigned the Home Department (excluding Intelligence), along with Information Technology and Biotechnology (IT-BT) and e-Governance. In the previous government, he handled Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) as well as IT-BT.
Krishna Byre Gowda, has been given charge of Bengaluru Development, a portfolio that the new CM is zealous about. His responsibilities include the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the Bengaluru North, South, East, West and Central City Corporations, the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara has been allotted the Revenue and Sports portfolios. He previously served as Home Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led government.
K H Muniyappa will head the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, while K J George has been assigned the Energy portfolio along with Tourism as an additional charge.
M B Patil will continue to oversee Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure. Ramalinga Reddy has been entrusted with the Major and Medium Irrigation Department, also known as the Water Resources Ministry.
Satish Jarkiholi has been assigned the Public Works Department (PWD), a portfolio he has handled in the past. U T Khader, who previously served as Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, will head the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Byrathi Suresh has been given charge of Transport, while Sharan Prakash Patil will oversee Medical Education and Skill Development. Suresh previously held the Urban Development portfolio, which has now been assigned to Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
Eshwar Khandre has been allocated the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department. In the previous Cabinet, he was in charge of Forest and Ecology.
The portfolio allocation follows the formation of the new Cabinet and awaits formal approval and notification from the Governor.
Meanwhile, former Governor and senior Congress leader Margaret Alva expressed disappointment over the absence of women in the newly constituted Cabinet.
“Congratulations to D K Shivakumar Ji on being sworn in as Karnataka CM. I wish him and his team success. I would have loved to have seen at least one Congress woman in the new Karnataka Cabinet that was sworn in today. Deeply disappointed that there isn’t,” she posted on social media.