A week after taking power, the Congress government in Karnataka expanded its cabinet on Saturday, filling all posts.
Among those who gained ministerial posts were the sons of two former chief ministers: R Gundu Rao’s son Dinesh Gundu Rao and S Bangarappa’s son Madhu Bangarappa.
The party also gave a chance to several former ministers and veteran congressional leaders on its second list.
Here is a brief description of the 24 ministers who were sworn in and sworn in on Saturday:
— Patil HK he is a staunch congressman and seasoned politician. The 69-year-old MLA was elected from the Gadag constituency. He has held portfolios in textiles, water resources, agriculture, law and parliamentary affairs, as well as rural development and panchayat raj. He comes from a political family; his father KH Patil was also an MLA from the same constituency.
— Krishna Byre Gowda he is an MLA five times: twice from Vemgal in Kolar and three times from Byatarayanapura in the city of Bengaluru. The 50-year-old lawmaker was minister of rural development and panchayat raj. He also held the portfolio of agriculture, and that of law and parliamentary affairs. He has a master’s degree in international affairs from the American University School of International Service in Washington DC.
— N Cheluvarayaswamy switched from JD(S) to Congress in 2018 before Assembly elections. He lost that election. He is a four time MLA from Nagamangala. He was a Parliament member in 2009 but resigned in 2013 to compete in the Assembly poll on a JD(S) ticket from his favorite seat Nagamangala.
— K. Venkatesh is a five times MLA from Periyapatna. The 75-year-old Congressional MLA was previously with the janata dal. He later joined Congress and became an MLA in 2013. In 2018, he lost to JD(S)’s K Mahadeva. He bounced back by winning the recent 2023 election.
— Dr H.C. Mahadevappa is an MBBS physician from JJM Medical College. Belonging to the scheduled caste community, 70 year old MLA from T Narasipur was formerly with JD(S) and switched to Congress. He was Minister of Public Works in the previous government of Siddaramaiah.
— Acting President of Congress Ishwar Khandre He comes from a political family. Her father, Bheemanna Khandre, was also a minister in the Karnataka government. The 61-year-old leader is a graduate engineer and also a four-time MLA from Bhalki in the Bidar constituency.
— Former Speaker of State Congress Dinesh Gundu Rao comes from an illustrious family. His father, the late R Gundu Rao, was the prime minister from 1980 to 1983. A BE from BMS College, Rao continued his winning streak without interruption for the sixth time in 2023. He was the minister of food and civil supplies from 2015 to 2016 .
— Kyathasandra N. Rajanna is a 72-year-old leader of the Scheduled Tribes community. He is a lawyer and farmer. He was elected an MLA once for the Madhugiri Assembly constituency in 2013.
— Sharanabasappa Darshanapur he is a five times MLA from Shahapur constituency in Yadgir district. The 62-year-old leader is a BE graduate in civil engineering. His father, Bapugouda Darshanapur, was a three-time Shahapur MLA and was also a minister in the Karnataka government.
— Shivan and Patil, four times MLA from Basavana Bagewadi, she was the minister of health and family welfare from 2018 to 2019 in the coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy.
— Ramappa Balappa Timmapur is a three-time MLA from Mudhol. In 2023, he won by defeating incumbent minister Govind Karjol, who was a five-time MLA from the same constituency. Timmapur was Karnataka’s minister of sugar, port and inland transport.
— SS Mallikarjun is an educator who won the Davangere North election. He is the son of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, the 92-year-old MLA from Davangere South. He is also president of the prestigious SS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Davangere.
— The 52-year-old MLA Shivaraj Sangappa Tangadagi he is a three-time MLA of the Kanakagiri constituency in the Koppal district.
— Dr Sharanaprakash Patil he is a doctor by profession and a four-time MLA from the Sedam constituency in Kalaburagi district.
— Mankal S. Vaidya he was twice elected for the Bhatkal-Honnavar constituency in the Uttara Kannada coastal district.
— Laxmi Hebbalkar is a 48-year-old MLA from rural Belagavi. She won from the constituency for the second time. She is considered close to Deputy Prime Minister DK Shivakumar.
— Rahim Khan, MLA, 57, from the Bidar North constituency, was the minister of sports and youth empowerment in the coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy.
— D. Sudhakar is a thrice MLA of Hiriyur in Chitradurga district. The 62-year-old Congress lawmaker served as Karnataka’s social welfare minister from 2008 to 2009.
— Santosh Boy is an MLA from Kalghatgi constituency in Dharwad district. The 48-year-old has a BCom and comes from a family of entrepreneurs.
— NS Boseraj, a national secretary of Congress, is not a member of the legislative council or the legislative assembly. He is considered close to the high command of Congress. His candidacy was finalized at the last minute after much deliberation.
— bachelor of Science he is a twice MLA who made it to the Karnataka cabinet.
— Madhu Bangarappa he is the son of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa. Previously associated with JD(S), the 56-year-old lawmaker won the 2023 Assembly election by defeating his brother Kumar Bangarappa of the BJP of the Soraba assembly constituency in Shivamogga district.
— Dr M C Sudhakar is an MLA from the Chintamani Assembly constituency in Chikkaballapura district. The 54-year-old lawmaker made it to the Karnataka Assembly for the third time. He is a dental surgeon.
— B Nagendra is a Congressional MLA from the Ballari constituency. He is a ‘giant assassin’ who defeated ex-minister B Sriramulu in the recently concluded Ballari Rural constituency Assembly election.