States » SouthPosted at: Oct 20 2026 7:59PM


Women's Cabinet berth turns into fresh flashpoint in Karnataka Cong

Bengaluru, Oct 20 (UNI) The demand for women's representation in the Karnataka Cabinet has opened another front in the tussle between Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, with rival camps reportedly pushing competing candidates for two vacant ministerial berths.
The prolonged absence of women in the 33-member Cabinet has put the Congress government on the defensive, turning a question of gender representation into a test of political influence, caste equations and competing interests within the ruling party.
The controversy has intensified following the resignation of Soumya Reddy as Karnataka Pradesh Mahila Congress president, which has drawn renewed attention to the party's failure to secure a place for women in the Cabinet.
Despite the Congress government's flagship Gruha Lakshmi scheme for women, the absence of a woman minister has provided the BJP an opportunity to question the ruling party's commitment to women's empowerment.
At the centre of the emerging contest are Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar and Sandur MLA Annapurna Tukaram, whose names are being discussed by the two camps.
Shivakumar is reportedly backing Hebbalkar's return to the Cabinet. She served as Women and Child Development Minister from May 2023 to May 2026 and is considered close to the Chief Minister.
Her possible reinduction is significant not only for her ministerial experience but also for her political influence in north Karnataka and her links with the Panchamasali Lingayat community, an important constituency for the Congress.
The Siddaramaiah camp, meanwhile, is reportedly supporting Annapurna Tukaram. Her induction is being considered in the context of restoring Scheduled Tribe representation in the Cabinet following the resignation of B Nagendra amid the Valmiki Corporation scam controversy.
The competing preferences have complicated the process of filling the vacancies, with the final choice likely to involve negotiations over regional, caste and political representation.
Other women legislators whose names are reportedly under consideration include Nayana Mothamma, Kanij Fathima and Rupakala Shashidhar.
Gayathri Shanthe Gowda was also reportedly considered for a ministerial berth but was dropped amid a pending legal dispute relating to her election to the Legislative Council.
The second vacant berth has its own set of contenders, with Byadgi MLA Basavaraj Sivannavaru, who belongs to the Kuruba community to which Siddaramaiah also belongs, being discussed as a possible candidate.
The contest over the two vacancies has therefore extended beyond the question of inducting a woman minister, bringing competing community claims and the influence of the two principal political camps into the Cabinet expansion exercise.
Shivakumar has reportedly made several visits to New Delhi to discuss Cabinet expansion and appointments to boards and institutions. However, a final decision remains pending as the party deals with organisational elections, Legislative Council polls and protests relating to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The issue is expected to be discussed with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders after Diwali.
The party is also considering appointments to five vacant Legislative Council seats and positions in boards and other institutions, adding to the demands that the high command must reconcile.
The Congress leadership is understood to be keen on completing the Cabinet expansion before the Assembly's winter session in December.
For the ruling party, the immediate challenge is to fill the vacancies without deepening internal differences. The decision will also test how the Congress balances its stated commitment to women's representation with competing demands from influential leaders and communities.
The delay has left the party facing criticism from the Opposition and dissatisfaction within its own women's wing, making the proposed expansion a politically sensitive exercise for the state leadership.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Women's Cabinet berth turns into fresh flashpoint in Karnataka Cong
More News

Priyank Kharge tells RSS to seek permission for Vijayadashami march

20 Oct 2026 | 8:42 PM

Bengaluru, Oct 20 (UNI) Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday asked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to obtain formal police permission for its proposed Vijayadashami procession, making it clear that merely informing the authorities about the event would not be sufficient.

see more..

Hyd: Owaisi, Jamiat Delegation Seek Centre's Intervention in Race Course Masjid Issue

20 Oct 2026 | 8:23 PM

Hyderabad, Oct 20 (UNI) AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and a delegation of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind have urged union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene in the Race Course Masjid issue and halt the proposed demolition, citing the mosque's status as a gazetted Waqf property since 1977.

see more..

YSRCP demands inquiry by HC sitting Judge into police firing on nominations day

20 Oct 2026 | 8:23 PM

Vijayawada, Oct 20 (UNI) The Opposition YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday demanded an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge into police firing in Pulivendula during the filing of nominations alleging that officers opened fire without provocation.

see more..

Women's Cabinet berth turns into fresh flashpoint in Karnataka Cong

20 Oct 2026 | 7:59 PM

Bengaluru, Oct 20 (UNI) The demand for women's representation in the Karnataka Cabinet has opened another front in the tussle between Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, with rival camps reportedly pushing competing candidates for two vacant ministerial berths.

see more..

AP ULB Polls: Naidu warns rebels of action if they don't withdraw nominations

20 Oct 2026 | 7:20 PM

Vijayawada, Oct 20 (UNI) Telugu Desam party national president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday warned the rebels contesting as independents in the Urban Local Body elections, of disciplinary action if they did not withdraw their nominations.

see more..