Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah holds first Cabinet meeting

Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who was sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister in a grand ceremony in Bengaluru on Saturday, held the first Cabinet meet of his government. The CM gave an in-principle approval to implement its poll promises, estimated to cost the exchequer about Rs 50,000 crore annually.

Siddaramaiah, who chaired the Cabinet meeting, said the 'guarantees' would "most likely" be implemented after the next Cabinet meeting. Siddaramaiah said the Assembly would be convened for three days from May 22, during which the newly elected MLAs shall be administered the oath. The Speaker's election is also on the cards.

The new government at its maiden Cabinet meeting, soon after the swearing-in ceremony, accorded "in-principle" approval to the Congress' five 'guarantees' promised before the elections. Siddaramaiah, addressing a press conference later, cited estimates and said implementing poll assurances would cost the exchequer about Rs 50,000 crore a year.

He asserted that the pre-poll assurances would be implemented notwithstanding the financial implications, if any.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Chief Minister and his Cabinet at Sree Kanteerava Stadium here, where Siddaramaiah had taken oath in 2013, when he became CM for the first time.

The legislators who were sworn in as ministers are: G Parameshwara, K H Muniyappa, K J George, M B Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge (AICC President M Mallikarjun Kharge's son), Ramalinga Reddy, and B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan.

Among eight MLAs inducted into the Cabinet, three are SCs, and one each from Christian, Lingayat, ST, Reddy and Muslim communities. Siddaramaiah is a Kuruba and Shivakumar belongs to the Vokkaliga community.

According to Congress sources, the party high command approved the list of eight ministers, against the earlier plan of inducting a much higher number of legislators into the Cabinet, as there were allegedly differences between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar over some names, during the discussions held till late last night in New Delhi over Cabinet formation.

This



apparently caused some displeasure among ministerial aspirants as they could not make it to the first list, sources said, pointing out that there is no representation for women in the first list.

With the sanctioned strength of the Karnataka Cabinet being 34, there are many aspirants for ministerial berths.

The Congress on Thursday named Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister and Shivakumar, a strong contender for the top post, as his only deputy, ending the deadlock.

Subsequently, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) later on Thursday formally elected Siddaramaiah as its leader, following which he staked his claim with the Governor, who invited him to form the government.

The 75-year-old became the CM for the second time after his earlier five-year stint from 2013. While 61-year-old Shivakumar, who had earlier worked as a minister under Siddaramaiah, would also continue as the party's Karnataka state president till Parliamentary elections are over next year.

The daunting task that Siddaramaiah is expected to face in the coming days is allocation of portfolios to the new Ministers, and expanding the Cabinet with the right combinations that will strike a balance in having representatives from all communities, regions, factions, and also from among the old and new generation of legislators.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former party president Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended the swearing-in ceremony, while former AICC president Sonia Gandhi was absent. Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukku (Himachal Pradesh) and several top party leaders were also in attendance.

The event marked by bonhomie saw the participation of Chief Ministers M K Stalin (Tamil Nadu), Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), Nitish Kumar (Bihar) and Tejashwi Yadav (Deputy CM-Bihar). Also, NCP president Sharad Pawar, National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mahbooba Mufti, actor-politician Kamal Haasan, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI General Secretary D Raja were among others in attendance.