With the reshuffle, the ministry has a strength of 33, one less than the constitutional limit. (File Photo)
Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government in a major revamp today dropped 14 ministers from its cabinet while inducting 13 new at a ceremony in Bengaluru's Raj Bhavan. The new-look team will lead the ruling Congress into the Assembly elections due in less than two years.
It was a happy Father's Day for lawmaker Mallikarjun Kharge, as his son Priyank was among the new ministers to be sworn in. But the veteran Congressman said it was all about holding on to the state in the 2018 Assembly elections. "It is not about one man becoming a minister. It is not that my son is a minister, so I am happy. The party must win in 2018 - that is the aim," Mr Kharge told NDTV.
While the new minister Priyank Kharge told NDTV, "I have been given new responsibility and that is exciting."
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had to camp in New Delhi to push the much- anticipated and much delayed reshuffle through. Mr Siddaramaiah received the green signal from Congress High Command on Saturday after intense discussions with party President Sonia Gandhi and deputy Rahul Gandhi.
Tanveer Sait, Kagodu Thimmappa, Ramesh Kumar, Basavaraj Raya Reddy, HY Meti, SS Mallikarjun, MR Seetharam, Santosh Lad and Ramesh Jarkiholi were inducted as cabinet rank ministers. Priyank Kharge, Rudrappa Lamani, Eshwar Khandre and Pramod Madhwaraj were sworn in as Ministers of State.
There were also protests in Bengaluru by supporters of those dropped and those who didn't make it into the cabinet.