Sidda, DK meet Rahul in Delhi ahead of Karnataka swearing-in ceremony

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, May 19

Twenty-five MLAs — besides Chief Minister-designate Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar — are expected to be sworn in as ministers at the oath-taking ceremony to be held at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru tomorrow.

List of probables

• Reserved: KH Muniyappa, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge
• Lingayats: MB Patil, Sharan Prakash Patil, Laxman Savadi, Eshwar Khandre, SS Mallikajrun, Laxmi Hebbalkar
• Vokkaligas: N Cheluvarayaswamy, HC Balakrishna, KM Shivalinge Gowda
• OBC:BK Hariprasad, Ajay Singh, Madhu Bangarappa

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who reached New Delhi today to discuss Cabinet formation with the high command, are trying to finalise the list of ministers.

They today met Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and KC Venugopal. Siddaramaiah belongs to the Kuruba community, while Shivakumar comes from the politically powerful Vokkaliga caste. Newly elected MLAs are clamouring for induction into the Cabinet, arguing that all castes and communities must get representation in the government.

The Congress has 22 SC and 15 ST MLAs. The SC MLAs include G Parameshwara, who had had the longest term as the president of the KPCC. Parameshwara had said he should be made Deputy CM, a post he held when the Congress-JD(S) coalition was in power. After it was clear that Shivakumar will be the only Deputy CM, Parameshwara said the party high command must take note of expectations of the Dalit community.

Ministerial aspirants from Bengaluru include senior leader Ramalinga Reddy, KJ George, Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao and BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan. The name of NA Haris is also doing the rounds. With 34 Lingayat MLAs, the Congress is under pressure to consider the likes of MB Patil, Sharan Prakash Patil, Laxman Savadi, Eshwar Khandre, SS Mallikajrun and Laxmi Hebbalkar among others. Muslim ministerial aspirants include Saleem Ahmed (MLC), Tanveer Sait, Rahim Khan, UT Khader and Kaneez Fatima.