Karnataka Cabinet Expansion: 19 Congress Legislators Sworn In as Ministers Amid Internal Dissent

Bengaluru, Aug 2026 : Nineteen Congress legislators were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers in the Karnataka government led by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at a ceremony held at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan on Monday, bringing an end to the prolonged wait for the much-anticipated expansion of the State Cabinet.

The expansion, however, was accompanied by internal dissent within the Congress, with one ministerial berth being kept vacant amid reported opposition to the reshuffle. Although Congress MLC Gayathri Shanthegowda was included in the list announced by the party, she did not take the oath. Congress sources said her induction was kept on hold following strong opposition and rebellion within the party over the Cabinet changes.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers in the presence of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and other dignitaries. Former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah was absent from the ceremony.

The programme began with the rendition of Vande Mataram, followed by the National Anthem and the State Anthem before the oath-taking ceremony. The event concluded with Vande Mataram, the National Anthem and the State Anthem.

Among those inducted was Ajay Singh, a three-time MLA and son of former Chief Minister late N. Dharam Singh. The MBBS graduate, who represents Jewargi in Kalaburagi district, took his oath in the name of God.

Five-time MLA H.C. Balakrishna, a close associate of Chief Minister Shivakumar, also took oath in the name of God. He represents Magadi in Ramanagara district.

First-time MLA K.S. Basavanthappa, representing the reserved Mayakonda constituency in Davangere district, took oath in the name of Jagajyothi Basaveshwara. He is the son-in-law of former minister H. Anjaneya.

Senior Congress leader Basavaraja Rayareddi, a six-term MLA and former Member of Parliament, was also inducted into the Cabinet. Representing Yelburga in Koppal district, Rayareddi had earlier served as Economic Adviser to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Former minister and four-time MLA N. Cheluvarayaswamy, representing Nagamangala in Mandya district, took oath in the name of God and his grandfather. He had earlier been associated with Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy before leaving the JD(S) and joining the Congress.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and four-time MLA Laxman Sangappa Savadi was another prominent inductee. The Athani MLA from Belagavi district had left the BJP and joined the Congress ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections after being denied a ticket by the BJP.

Former minister and two-time MLA Madhu Bangarappa, representing Sagar in Shivamogga district, also joined the ministry. He is the son of former Chief Minister late S. Bangarappa.

S.S. Mallikarjun, a former minister and four-time MLA from Davanagere North, was among the notable last-minute additions. His name was reportedly included after senior Congress leader Mankal Vaidya was dropped from the final list. Mallikarjun’s wife, Prabha Mallikarjun, is a Congress MP, while his son, Samarth Mallikarjun, represents Davangere South.

Former minister and four-time MLA B. Nagendra, representing the reserved Ballari Rural constituency, also took oath.

Three-time MLA P.M. Narendraswamy of the reserved Malavalli constituency took oath in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar and God Gangadhara Ajja. Four-time Chamarajanagar MLA C. Puttarangasetty also joined the Cabinet.

T. Raghu Moorthy, a three-term MLA from the reserved Challakere constituency in Chitradurga district, took oath in the name of God. An engineering graduate, he entered politics after resigning from his job.

Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad, representing Shivajinagar in Bengaluru, was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister. The two-term MLA and commerce graduate is considered close to Chief Minister Shivakumar and had played a significant role in the Davangere South by-election campaign.

Two-term MLA Rudrappa Lamani of the reserved Haveri constituency also took oath in the name of God. He had earlier served as Deputy Speaker during the Siddaramaiah government.

Former minister and four-time MLA Santhosh Lad, representing Kalaghatgi in Dharwad district, was another inductee. He is known for his outspoken criticism of the BJP and Hindutva organisations.

Four-term MLA K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, representing Arasikere in Hassan district, took oath in the name of God. He was formerly associated with the H.D. Deve Gowda family before joining the Congress.

Former minister and three-term MLA Shivaraj Tangadgi, representing the reserved Kanakagiri constituency in Koppal district, also joined the Cabinet.

Two-term Hungund MLA Vijayananda Kashappanavar took oath in the name of the Panch Peethas, Buddha and Basava.

Former minister and five-term MLA B.Z. Zameer Ahmad Khan, representing Chamarajpet in Bengaluru, took oath in the name of Allah and his mother.

The induction of 19 ministers marks a major expansion of the Congress government after months of speculation and political discussions over Cabinet changes. However, the decision to leave one berth vacant reflects the internal challenges surrounding the reshuffle.

With the swearing-in now completed, attention is expected to shift to the allocation of portfolios. The new ministers will take charge as the Congress government seeks to strengthen its administration while managing competing regional, community and political interests within the party.