Karnataka ministry sworn in

BANGALORE, Oct 17 (PTI) — A 42-member Congress Ministry, comprising 24 members of Cabinet rank and 18 Ministers of State, was sworn in in Karnataka today, a week after the S.M. Krishna assumed chief ministership of the state following the party’s resounding victory in the Assembly polls.

Members of the Congress Ministry which was sworn in at the Vidhan Souda, Bangalore, pose for a photograph with Governor Khurshid Alam Khan and Chief Minister S.M. Krishna on Sunday. — PTI

Governor Khurshed Alam Khan administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the new ministers at the portals of Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, amid bursting of crackers and raising of slogans by Congress workers.

Mr Krishna, who has opted for the ministry formation in one swoop, has retained tried and tested colleagues in the new squad, which has 21 members with ministerial experience, four women and six from the minority communities — five Muslims and a Christian.

Opposition Leader in the dissolved Assembly, Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, an aspirant who failed to make it to the Chief Minister’s post, former KPCC chiefs K.H. Ranganath and Dharam Singh, Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council H.K. Patil and former Assembly Speaker D.B. Chandregowda are among the heavyweights in the ministry.

Mr Kumar Bangarappa, son of a former Chief Minister and Lok Sabha member S. Bangarappa, state Congress spokesman B.K. Chandrashekhar and former Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council Rani Satish are among the new faces.

The two-tier ministry has a fairly balanced representation of different castes and communities and regions, and marks completion of a protracted ministry making exercise by Mr Krishna in consultation with the party high command.

Mr Krishna has rewarded with ministerial berths to Mr R.V. Deshpande, a one-time trusted lieutenant of Lok Shakti president Ramakrishna Hegde, former Lok Sabha member Quamurul Islam, former MLC B.K. Chandrashekhar and former Minister Roshan Baig who defected to the Congress ahead of the polls.

Of the 18 ministers of state, six are with independent charge.

The long-drawn-out ministry making exercise had drawn flak from the Opposition but Mr Krishna yesterday denied any delay saying he had an attack of viral fever and claimed the time taken for finalising the team was only 24 hours.

Mr Krishna, who as PCC chief had led the party to a stunning victory with a clear majority of 132 seats in the 224-member Assembly, had taken oath as Chief Minister on October 11, replacing the Janata Dal ministry headed by Mr J.H. Patel.

Those who were sworn-in as ministers of Cabinet rank are Mr A.M. Hindasageri, Kagodu Thimmappa, Khashappannavar, A. Krishnappa, Quamurul Islam, M.Y. Ghorpade, D.B. Chandregowda, B.B. Chimmanakatti, T.B. Jayachandra, R.V. Deshpande, N. Dharmsingh, H.K. Patil, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Dr A.B. Malkareddy, M. Mahadev, V. Muniyappa, Motamma, B. Ramanath Rai, K.H. Ranganath, R. Roshan Baig, H. Vishwanath, H.C. Srikantaiah, D.K. Shivakumar and C.R. Sageer Ahmed.

Ministers of State (independent charge) are — D.B. Inamdar, Kumar Bangarappa, Prof B.K. Chandrasekhar, R.B. Thimmapur, Dr. G. Parameshwara, Baburao Chinchansoor, Suma Vasanth, S. Mallikarjun and M. Shivanna.

Ministers of State are Allam Veerabhadrappa, T. John, M. Diwakar Babu, Nafeeza Fazal, Baburao Chavan, M.M. Nanaiah, Veerakumar A Patil, Rani Satish and Mallikarjuna Nagappa.

While Cabinet rank ministers took oath individually, ministers of state were sworn in three batches.

A large gathering of Congress party workers and supporters of the new ministers had gathered at the venue to witness the swearing-in ceremony.

The ministry formed by Mr Krishna was a blend of experienced and new faces, with 21 newly sworn-in members having served as ministers in the earlier Congress regime.

Mr R.V. Deshpande, Quamurul Islam and R. Roshan Baig, who defected to the Congress on the eve of Assembly polls, have been rewarded with Cabinet rank berths.

Chandrasekhar, who was inducted into the ministry as Minister of State (Ind Charge), is not the member of the either House of legislature and was the party’s chief spokesman during elections. He had also defected from the Janata Dal to the Congress.

Among four women included the ministry, Motamma is the lone candidate to get Cabinet rank and the remaining are ministers of state.