BELAGAVI: Mounting pressure from ministerial aspirants and competing regional claims has forced the Congress high command into a delicate balancing act, delaying the long-awaited expansion and reshuffle of the Karnataka Cabinet.
While chief minister DK Shivakumar and his predecessor Siddaramaiah are understood to favour completing the exercise at the earliest, the absence of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge from the ongoing consultations in New Delhi has slowed the decision-making process.
Congress insiders said the leadership was keen to evolve a broad consensus before announcing the new ministry, making an immediate expansion unlikely.
According to highly placed Congress sources, the top brass is expected to take at least another week to finalise the Cabinet's composition.
The delay is being attributed to extensive consultations with senior party leaders on regional representation, caste equations, political balancing and the inclusion of fresh faces while accommodating experienced legislators.
Speaking to TNIE, KPCC president BK Hariprasad said the leadership was awaiting Kharge's arrival in New Delhi before taking the next step.
"We are all waiting for Mallikarjun Kharge to decide on the cabinet expansion. The process may not be delayed for long, but it will take at least another week," he said, adding that the leadership would hold multiple rounds of discussions before arriving at a final decision.
Although Hariprasad declined to indicate how many legislators would be inducted, party sources said the exercise had become increasingly complex, with nearly 30 Congress MLAs camping in New Delhi and lobbying aggressively for ministerial berths. The rush has intensified pressure on the leadership, with legislators meeting senior Congress leaders and presenting their claims for representation.
Sources said the exercise is expected to involve not only the induction of new faces but also the dropping of a few ministers to make way for senior leaders who were left out earlier.
Several names are under discussion, with the political future of BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan reportedly remaining uncertain amid differences within the party over his continuation.
Discussions are also centred on regional representation.
According to party insiders, the leadership is weighing whether to induct Belagavi MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar or accommodate Kalaburagi MLA Kaneez Fathima or KGF MLA Roopakala Shashidhar to address broader social and regional equations.
The high command is also expected to deliberate on the list of names suggested by Siddaramaiah before taking a final call.
Even as Shivakumar is believed to favour a full-strength Cabinet, the Congress leadership is reportedly inclined to keep two or three berths vacant to retain flexibility for future political adjustments and emerging electoral considerations.
Amid the intense lobbying, Belagavi has emerged as one of the districts pressing strongly for greater representation.
Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi has argued that Karnataka's largest district deserves an additional Cabinet berth.
"Belagavi is one of the largest districts in Karnataka and deserves one more ministerial position. It would also be better if newcomers are given an opportunity, as assigning responsibility to fresh faces will strengthen the party in the long run," Jarkiholi said.
He said only preliminary discussions had taken place so far and reiterated that the final decision rested entirely with the high command.
Expressing confidence that district-wise representation would receive due consideration, Jarkiholi's remarks have added weight to Belagavi's claim at a time when several other regions are making similar demands.
With factional interests, regional aspirations and social equations converging in New Delhi, the Cabinet expansion has become one of the Congress government's biggest political exercises since it assumed office.
