The 17-member Karnataka Cabinet took oath at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru on Tuesday morning, three weeks after senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa sworn-in as Chief Minister of the state after defeating the Congress-JDS coalition government via Trust Vote.
This is the first Cabinet expansion after Yediyurappa assumed office on July 26 and proved his government's majority on the floor of the Assembly on July 29.
The new Ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan here.
They include former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, two former deputy Chief Ministers -- K S 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.
The development came after BJP President and Union home minister Amit Shah approved 17 names to be inducted into the Karnataka cabinet late on Monday night.
Seventeen, including a woman- Shashikala Jolle and MLC Kota Srinivas Poojari, a few new faces and a few popular, the lingayat-heavy-cabinet will take oath at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has written a letter to Governor Vajubhai Vala listing all 17 names to be inducted into the cabinet requesting for them to be sworn in on Tuesday morning.
BJP MLAs Govind Karajol (Dalit), C N Ashwathnarayan (vokkaliga), Lakshman Savadi (Lingayat), R Ashok (Vokkaliga), Jagadish Shettar(Lingayat), Sreeramulu (ST), Suresh Kumar (Brahmin), V Somanna (Lingayath), CT Ravi (Vokkaliga), Basavaraj Bommai (Lingayat), Madhuswamy (Lingayat), CC Patil (Lingayat), H Nagesh (SC), Prabhu Chavan (Lambani), Jolle Shashi Kala (Lingayat), KS Eshwarappa (kuruba), Kota Srinivas poojary (ediga).
The BSY team has got more Lingayath ministers, including Yediyurappa himself. Eight other members will be from the same caste, followed by the Vokkaliga community where they have chosen three.
Interestingly, most of these members are Yeddiyurappa's loyalists.
Bengaluru gets four ministers, there is representation from Bidar, Kolar, Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Hubballi, Dharwad, Tumkur, Belagavi, Chitradurga and other places.
Karjol is expected to get Home portfolio, women and child welfare, Kannada and culture ministry is likely to be allocated to Shashikala Jolle, Backward classes welfare to Sreeramulu, Law and parliamentary affairs to JC Madhuswamy while Bommai is expected to receive water resources- a portfolio he had earlier held.
Name of BJP MLA from Mahadevapura constituency Aravind Limbavali is missing from the list.
Sources from BJP said his name might be recommended for saffron party's state president post.
Karnataka can have a maximum of 34 Ministers, including the Chief Minister.
(With ENS and PTI Inputs)