Congress leadership weighs representation, youth, caste equations before Karnataka Cabinet expansion decision.
Political circles in Bengaluru and New Delhi are abuzz as Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar navigates a high-stakes legislative puzzle amid efforts to finalise the long-delayed expansion of his Cabinet.
Following weeks of intense lobbying, discussions on the Karnataka Cabinet expansion have shifted to the national capital over the past few days. The Congress high command is reportedly working on a major restructuring exercise aimed at inducting younger leaders into the government while balancing representation across regions and communities.
The Congress government in Karnataka is currently functioning with 14 ministers, including Chief Minister Shivakumar, leaving 20 Cabinet positions vacant. More than 40 senior party leaders are said to be vying for ministerial berths, making the exercise a complex balancing act involving regional representation, caste equations, seniority and political considerations.
The prolonged delay has kept aspirants waiting, with many MLAs camping in New Delhi in anticipation of an announcement. Chief Minister Shivakumar, along with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president B.K. Hariprasad, has been in New Delhi to hold consultations with the Congress leadership on the final list of ministers.
However, the initial blueprint submitted by the Karnataka leadership is understood to have encountered resistance. According to sources in the Congress high command, senior leader Rahul Gandhi has sought a revised formula, stressing that the new Cabinet should include more young and ideologically committed leaders while ensuring adequate representation for women, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and minority communities.
The directive has unsettled several senior legislators aspiring for ministerial positions. Nearly 30 to 40 hopeful MLAs have been camping in New Delhi to press their claims for Cabinet berths.
The leadership’s emphasis on inducting younger faces has increased uncertainty among senior legislators, while the challenge of maintaining regional and social balance has added further complexity to the exercise. Deliberations were briefly delayed due to the temporary absence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge from the national capital.
Kharge had travelled to Bengaluru because of a family emergency, postponing the final round of consultations. After his return, Chief Minister Shivakumar held a one-on-one meeting with the Congress president at his Bengaluru residence. The meeting assumed added significance as it took place ahead of the Karnataka Legislature’s monsoon session.
Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP has stepped up its attack on the Congress government, accusing it of administrative paralysis and internal discord. BJP leaders have described Shivakumar as a “restricted Chief Minister”, alleging that several important portfolios remain unallocated and that decision-making has become excessively centralised in the Chief Minister’s Office, while infrastructure projects continue to face delays.
Party insiders said Shivakumar is keen on a full-fledged Cabinet expansion to strengthen governance before the upcoming urban local body elections. However, the Congress high command is believed to favour a calibrated, phased approach, keeping a few ministerial positions vacant to accommodate future political adjustments.
With a final consensus yet to emerge, the Cabinet expansion is expected to be delayed by another week as the Congress leadership weighs organisational and electoral considerations ahead of the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections.
