BENGALURU: The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka was expanded on Wednesday, with the induction of 25 legislators as cabinet ministers including 23 from the alliance partners and one BSP MLA and an Independent.
Of the 23 from the alliance, 14 are from Congress and 9 from JD-S.
Governor Vajubhai R. Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers at Raj Bhavan in the city centre.
Former Kannda actress and legislative council member Jayamala of the Congress is the lone woman minister.
N. Mahesh of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was also sworn in. The BSP is a pre-poll ally of the JD-S.
Independent R. Shankar, who supported the alliance, is another cabinet minister.
Besides Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of the JD-S and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara of the Congress, senior leaders and several legislators of both the alliance partners and senior officials were present at the hour-long ceremony.
The 14 legislators of the Congress and nine of the JD-S took oath in Kannada and in the name of either god, Allah, 14th century Kannadiga social reformer Basavanna and parents.
Among the Congress ministers were R.V. Deshpande, D.K. Shivakumar, K.J. George, Krishna Byre Gowda, Shiva Shankar Reddy, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, U.T. Abdul Khader, Zameer Ahmed Khan, Shivanand Patil, Venkat Ramanappa, Rajsekhar Basavaraj Patil, Puttaranga Shetty and Jayamala.
Among the JD-S ministers are H.D. Revanna, Bandeppa Kashempur, G.T. Deve Gowda, D.C. Thammanna, M.C. Managuli, S.R. Srinivas, Venkatrao Nadegouda, C.S. Puttaraju and S.R. Mahesh.
Revanna is the second son of JD-S supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and elder brother of Kumarmaswamy. He represents Holenarsipur assembly segment from Hassan district.
Priyank is the son of Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge from Chittapur in Kalaburgi district.