Only Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Parameshwara have till now taken oath of office in the alliance government in the state.
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara during a meeting with representatives of farmers from 30 districts over loans waiver, at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on 30 May, 2018. (Photo: IANS)
Karnataka cabinet expansion will be held on Wednesday at 2 pm, deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara confirmed on Tuesday. The senior Congress leader is the second-in-command of the government as part of a power-sharing agreement between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular).
Only Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Parameshwara have till now taken oath of office in the alliance government in the state. On 1 June, the parties came to an agreement on sharing of ministerial berths.
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As per the agreement, the Congress will hold 22 portfolios and the JD(S) 12. The Congress will have the Home Ministry while the JD(S) will keep Finance.
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The remaining 32 legislators will be sworn-in tomorrow following criticism by the BJP over the delay in cabinet formation.
Parameshwara, who is also the chief of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), will discuss with Congress president Rahul Gandhi the modalities of finalisation of the 21 Congress MLAs who would take oath of office.
Kumaraswamy, on the other hand, will hold talks with JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda to finalise the names from his party who would become ministers.
The names will be finalised by Tuesday evening.
As per the agreement between the alliance partners, the Congress will have besides Home, Irrigation, Bengaluru City Development, Industries, Health, Revenue, Urban Development, Rural Development, Agriculture, Medical Education, Housing, Labour, Women & Child Welfare, Forest & Environment, Mines & Geology, Social Welfare, Food & Civil Supplies, Law & Parliamentary Affairs, IT, BT and Science & Technology, Kannada Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs, Haj & Wakf and Minority Affairs, and Ports & Inland Transport Development departments.
Besides Finance, the JD(S) will have Excise, Information, Intelligence, General Administration, Planning & Statistics, Public Works Department (PWD), Power, Cooperation, Tourism, General Education, Animal Husbandary & Fisheries, Horticulture & Sericulture, Small-Scale Industries, Transport and Minor Irrigation.
In the 225-member Assembly, including one nominated, the Congress has 78 MLAs, JD(S) 36, BJP 104, and others three.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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