Karnataka Cabinet to be expanded

Bangalore, December 22: Here is the latest news that, As the dominant alliance partner in the coalition government, the ruling Congress has announced a list of eight names for being sworn in as ministers.

The party has decided to pull out two ministers and induct eight new ministers, a party officer said.

"Our leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Siddaramaiah, has sent to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy the names of eight party legislators to be made ministers and that of the two to be dropped from the Cabinet," the official told to media here on today.

As decided by the five-member coordination committee on December 5, the Congress is filling up its share of 22 berths in the 34-member ministry, with 12 being the share of its alliance partner Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).

The eight probables are Satish Jarkiholi, M.B. Patil, C.S. Shivalli, M.T.B. Nagaraj, B.T. Tukaram, Rahim Khan, R.B. Thimmapur and P.T. Parameshwar Naik.

Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and Forests Minister R. Shankar are the two Congress ministers being dropped.

Ramesh Jarkiholi is the younger brother of Satish Jarkiholi from the Belagavi district in the state s northwest region.

Senior Congress legislators Ramalinga Reddy and Roshan Baig have not been considered for the cabinet posts, while another senior legislator, H.K. Patil, has been appointed chairman of the party s campaign committee.