Karnataka Cabinet Expansion Lacks Women Ministers

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expanded his cabinet on 5 August 2026, appointing 19 ministers, all of whom are men. A lone woman, Legislative Council member Gayathri Shantegowda, was initially listed but later omitted from the final roster, and other female aspirants such as Laxmi Hebbalkar and Umashree were also left out. Opposition party Janata Dal Secular (JDS) criticised the ruling Congress‑led government, calling the exclusion a "glaring injustice" and demanding that women be given representation in the state cabinet. JDS highlighted that women constitute half of Karnataka’s population and accused the government of political hypocrisy. Congress MLA Nayana Motamma said a woman would be appointed to the vacant post soon. The new cabinet reflects a balanced caste and community mix—Lingayats, Scheduled Castes, Vokkaligas, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and others—but contains no female ministers, raising concerns about gender parity and the allocation of key portfolios to women.