Two weeks after taking oath as the Karnataka chief minister, HD Kumaraswamy will expand his two-member cabinet on Wednesday with over 20 ministers likely to take oath.

According to the reports, while the JDS will have nine new ministers, the Congress will have nearly 12 of its legislators inducted into the cabinet. The Bahujan Samaj Party is all set to get its first minister outside Uttar Pradesh as its MLA N Mahesh will also be a part of the cabinet expansion and will be given a key portfolio.

The new ministers will take oath after days of hard and hectic bargaining between the ruling coalition partners, the JDS and the Congress.

The Congress finalised its names in the national capital at a meeting with party chief Rahul Gandhi, senior Karnataka leaders like former chief minister Siddharamaiah, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and party leaders Dinesh Gundu Rao and DK Shivakumar, besides AICC general secretary in-charge KC Venugopal.

DK Shivakumar, who had earlier demanded the post of deputy chief minister, will settle for two ministries, according to a report in the NDTV.

Gandhi met the Karnataka leaders for over an hour and gave final shape to the list of ministers, while according equitable representation to all sections and regions.

According to the power-sharing arrangement, the Congress would have a total of 22 ministers while the JD-S will have 12, including the chief minister.

According to official sources, Governor Vajubhai Vala will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers after 2 pm at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.

The Congress and the JD(S) have also decided on the allocation of portfolios between them as part of the power-sharing agreement.

According to the agreement, Congress will get the portfolios of Home, Irrigation, Bangalore City Development, Industry and Sugar Industry, Health, Revenue, Urban Development, Rural Development, Agriculture, Law and Parliamentary Affairs and IT/BT, among others.

The JDS portfolios include Finance, Excise, Information, Intelligence, Public Works Department, Power, Cooperation, Tourism, Education and Transport.

JDS and Congress had stitched up a post-poll alliance at the state level after the May 12 assembly polls yielded a fractured mandate, with BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 members, falling short of the required numbers.

(With agency inputs)