Karnataka gets a new cabinet; 17 new ministers, including Jagadish Shettar, KS Eshwarappa, inducted in BS Yediyurappa govt

Over three weeks after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, BS Yediyurappa finally has a cabinet. At least, 17 ministers were inducted into the new Karnataka cabinet on Tuesday. This is the first cabinet after Yediyurappa assumed office on 26 July and proved his government’s majority on the Floor of the Assembly on 29 July after the collapse of the previous Congress-Janata Dal coalition government. The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. The cabinet now includes former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, two former deputy chief ministers: KS Eshwarappa and R Ashoka, independent MLA H Nagesh and Laxman Sangappa Savadi, who is not a member of the Assembly or Council, and MLC Kota Srinivas Poojari.

#BIGNEWS: #KSEshawarappa takes oath as minister in CM @BSYBJP's cabinet. #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/l4ZonAfISw

— News9 (@News9Tweets) August 20, 2019

Others sworn in were: Govind M Karajol, Ashwath Narayan CN, B Sreeramulu, S Suresh Kumar, V Somanna, CT Ravi, Basavaraj Bommai, JC Madhu Swamy, CC Patil, Prabhu Chauhan and Shashikala Jolle Annasaheb, who is the only woman cabinet minister. The Karnataka cabinet can have a maximum of 34 ministers, including the chief minister. The dominant Lingayat community, which is also BJP’s core voter base in Karnataka, has been rewarded with the lion’s share in the state cabinet. The party has included eight people from this caste grouping (including Yediyurappa) into the cabinet, which means roughly 44 percent representation for the community in the cabinet. Speaking to PTI, party sources had said that Yediyurappa had a tightrope to walk during the cabinet formation as he had to craft a fine caste and regional balance, especially considering that there were many aspirants.