On Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar urged disgruntled Congress leaders to remain calm after the long-awaited Cabinet expansion sparked protests and disappointment among legislators who failed to secure ministerial positions. In Bengaluru, Shivakumar addressed the growing dissent by acknowledging that many deserving and senior legislators could not be accommodated in the ministry. He shared his personal experience of being overlooked for ministerial positions in the past, including in 2004 and during former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s tenure. Shivakumar appealed to disappointed legislators to exercise restraint, assuring them that the party would create opportunities for everyone in due course. Despite his appeal, discontent surfaced from various parts of the state, with six-time MLA Tanveer Sait expressing gratitude for the support from his party workers after being overlooked for a Cabinet berth. Similarly, five-time MLA Hampanagouda Badarli expressed disappointment over the lack of representation for Raichur district in the expanded ministry. Protests also erupted in Bengaluru, where supporters of Govindarajanagar MLA Priya Krishna staged demonstrations after he failed to secure a Cabinet position. The Cabinet expansion has sparked resentment among legislators from Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Gadag, and Vijayanagar districts, who feel that their regions were overlooked despite repeated demands for representation. The Congress government finally expanded the Karnataka Cabinet on Monday, inducting 20 legislators as ministers, in a move aimed at balancing experience and fresh faces.
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📰 Source: Mangalorean News