Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva has expressed “deep disappointment” over the lack of women’s representation in the new Council of Ministers in Karnataka headed by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Shivakumar took oath as CM on Wednesday, June 3, along with 13 ministers.
“Congratulations to DK Shivakumarji on being sworn in as Karnataka CM. I wish him and his team success. I would have loved to see at least one Congress woman in the new Karnataka Cabinet sworn in today. Deeply disappointed that there isn’t one,” Alva posted on X on Wednesday.
Alva is a former Union Minister and has served as Governor of several states.
Eleven of the 13 ministers inducted into the Shivakumar-led cabinet were part of the previous Siddaramaiah government in the state.
Interestingly, Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC Yathindra was also inducted into the Ministry. However, no women representatives were included in the first phase of the Cabinet formation.
Yathindra and UT Khader, who resigned as Legislative Assembly Speaker, are the only two new faces in Shivakumar’s cabinet, while the others were part of Siddaramaiah’s ministry.
Senior Dalit MLA G Parameshwara was appointed Deputy Chief Minister.
Laxmi Hebbalkar was the lone woman minister in the previous Siddaramaiah government.
