Karnataka Cabinet expansion and women’s representation to be discussed in Delhi

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said discussions on filling the two remaining Cabinet positions, including the possibility of appointing a woman, will be held during his visit to Delhi. Shivakumar told reporters in Shivamogga on Sunday that the question of accommodating a woman in the Cabinet would be discussed in the capital.

Party sources said leaders in Karnataka had not yet reached consensus on which woman legislator should be considered. The Chief Minister is travelling to Delhi to attend a Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The meeting will discuss the Election Commission and the ongoing special intensive revision exercise across the country, he said.

Shivakumar also said an Opposition leaders’ meeting had been convened to discuss the same issues. The source material does not specify the date or participants for that meeting. According to party sources, the Cabinet expansion cannot proceed until Congress leaders reach agreement.

Several names have been discussed, but no candidate has been identified publicly in the material available. When asked about appointments to boards and corporations, Shivakumar said a decision had already been taken in Delhi. Senior legislators would be accommodated first, while party workers would be appointed later, he said.

Congress General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala held discussions with the Chief Minister and prospective legislators the previous week before the names were to be finalised. The planned Delhi discussions therefore cover both the unresolved Cabinet berths and the broader party position on the Election Commission and special revision exercise. No date for the Cabinet expansion was announced.

The material also does not state whether the proposed woman minister would be selected during the Delhi meetings or at a later stage.