Bengaluru: The expansion of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s cabinet has triggered sharp political reactions within the ruling Congress, with several legislators expressing disappointment over being left out of the ministry.
While discontent continues to grow among aspiring ministers, the inclusion of more leaders from the Muslim community in key constitutional and cabinet positions has emerged as a major talking point in Karnataka politics. The cabinet expansion has also sparked a fresh political confrontation, with the BJP launching a scathing attack over the re-induction of senior Congress leader B. Nagendra.
With the latest expansion, three Muslim leaders are now part of the state cabinet. Health Minister U.T. Khader, who was inducted during the formation of the D.K. Shivakumar government, has now been joined by senior Congress legislators Zameer Ahmed Khan and Rizwan Arshad. Although their portfolios are yet to be officially allocated, both have secured cabinet-rank positions.
The appointments have significantly increased Muslim representation in the state government. In addition to the cabinet berths, senior Congress leader Saleem Ahmed has been chosen as the Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, further strengthening the community’s presence in influential positions within the government.
The Congress has also recently ensured the election of Mansoor Ali Khan to the Rajya Sabha, reinforcing what many political observers see as a conscious effort to provide greater representation to minorities in the state’s political structure.
ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟರ ಹಣ ಲೂಟಿ ಮಾಡಿದ ಕಳಂಕಿತನಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮಂತ್ರಿಗಿರಿ ಬಹುಮಾನ! ಬ್ರಷ್ಟ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ನಾಚಿಕೆಯಾಗಬೇಕು!
ವಾಲ್ಮೀಕಿ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ನಿಗಮದ ₹187 ಕೋಟಿ ಬಡ ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಪಂಗಡದ ಜನರ ಹಣವನ್ನು ಕದ್ದು, ತೆಲಂಗಾಣ ಮತ್ತು ಲೋಕಸಭಾ ಚುನಾವಣೆಗಾಗಿ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಹೈಕಮಾಂಡ್‌ಗೆ 'ಕಪ್ಪ ಕಾಣಿಕೆ' ನೀಡಿದ್ದ ಕಳಂಕಿತ ಮಾಜಿ ಸಚಿವ ಬಿ.… pic.twitter.com/iMX9z8OZZV
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) August 3, 2026
Political analysts note that the cabinet expansion reflects the party’s attempt to balance regional, caste and community equations while strengthening its AHINDA (minorities, backward classes and Dalits) social coalition.
However, the exercise has also resulted in resentment among several senior legislators who had expected ministerial berths.
Among those expressing open dissatisfaction are Sagar MLA Belur Gopalakrishna, Indi MLA Yashavantharayagouda Patil and Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait. Some of the disappointed legislators have publicly spoken about resigning from their Assembly membership or consulting party workers before deciding their future political course.
❌ಇಂಡಿ ಶಾಸಕ ಯಶವಂತರಾಯ ಗೌಡ ಅವರಿಂದ ರಾಜೀನಾಮೆ
❌ನಾಳೆ ರಾಜಿನಾಮೆ ಎಂದು ಸಾಗರ ಶಾಸಕ ಬೇಳೂರು ಗೋಪಾಲಕೃಷ್ಣ ಆಕ್ರೋಶ
❌ಪಕ್ಷ ವಿರೋಧಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಚಿವ ಸ್ಥಾನ, ನಿಷ್ಠಾವಂತರಿಗೆ ನಿರಾಸೆ ಎಂದು ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಹೈಮಾಂಡ್ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಹಿರಿಯ ಶಾಸಕ ತನ್ವೀರ್ ಸೇಠ್ ಅಸಮಾಧಾನ
❌ಮಂತ್ರಿ ಸ್ಥಾನ ಕೈತಪ್ಪಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ಶಾಸಕಿ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಹೆಬ್ಬಾಳ್ಕರ್… pic.twitter.com/xhsroC9H21
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) August 3, 2026
Belur Gopalakrishna has announced that he would resign from both his MLA post and any corporation or board position if denied justice. At the same time, Tanveer Sait has alleged that assurances given by the party leadership were not honoured. Yashavantharayagouda Patil has also voiced strong disappointment after missing out on a cabinet berth.
Supporters of some of the overlooked leaders have staged protests in different parts of the state, demanding that their leaders be accommodated in the ministry. The demonstrations underline the growing frustration among sections of Congress workers over the cabinet selection.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka launched a blistering attack on the Congress government over the re-induction of B. Nagendra into the cabinet. Referring to the alleged Valmiki Development Corporation scam, Ashoka alleged that a “tainted leader” had been rewarded with a ministerial berth despite allegations relating to the diversion of Rs 187 crore meant for the welfare of Scheduled Tribe communities.
In a social media post, Ashoka claimed that the Congress government had ignored accountability and accused it of rewarding leaders facing serious allegations. He alleged that the money meant for the development of Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries was siphoned off and questioned the government’s decision to re-induct Nagendra despite the controversy. Ashoka further alleged that the previous government had acknowledged irregularities in the Valmiki Development Corporation and said the latest cabinet expansion reflected the Congress leadership’s failure to uphold accountability.
The BJP leader also linked the alleged Valmiki scam with other controversies, including the Chinnaswamy Stadium tragedy, claiming that the Congress government had failed to fix responsibility in either case. He alleged that the ruling party was protecting those accused of wrongdoing. He asserted that the people of Karnataka, particularly members of the Valmiki community, would not forgive the government for what he termed as misgovernance and corruption.
