Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar heads to Delhi for cabinet expansion talks

The Karnataka Congress is negotiating an expansion of the state cabinet, which currently has 20 vacant ministerial posts. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is expected to travel to Delhi on June 27 to meet senior party leaders and discuss the appointments.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi is slated to return to India on June 28 after an overseas trip, and his arrival is anticipated to influence the final decisions on the cabinet. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has taken a five‑day retreat at a resort in Kerala with senior party figures, including former ministers and aspiring legislators, to lobby for ministerial positions.

Several Congress legislators, such as Salim Ahmed, Ashok Patna, Vijayanand Kashapnanwar, Sharath Bachhegowda, and E.R. Krishnamurthy, have met with Shivakumar and national party president Mallikarjun Kharge to present their demands. Names for the state assembly speaker role, including B.R. Patil, Dinesh Gundurav, and H.K. Patil, have also been floated, though interest appears limited.