24 ministers take oath in Karnataka, CM Siddaramaiah says allotment of portfolios in 24 hours

Bengaluru, May 27 (IANS) The full-fledged cabinet of the Congress party came into force on Saturday as 24 cabinet ministers took oath at the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath to the newly inducted cabinet ministers.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar and Speaker U.T. Khader congratulated the new ministers.

Speaking to reporters before the ceremony, Siddaramaiah stated that the allocation of portfolios of cabinet ministers will be done by today (Saturday) or tomorrow (Sunday).

Senior Congress leader H.K. Patil; N. Cheluvarayaswamy; only Vokkaliga legislator to stand with Ahinda movement launched by Siddaramaiah, K. Venkatesh; Eshwar Khandre; Sharanabasappa Bapugouda Darshanapur; and R.B. Thimmapur took oaths in the name of God.

Congress leader Shivaraj Tangadagi; close confidante of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharanprakash Rudrappa Patil; Mankal Vaidya belonging to Mogaveera community; and D. Sudhakar representing Jain community; Santhosh Lad; AICC Secretary and Telangana Congress in-charge N.S. Boseraju; a close confidante of CM Siddaramaiah, Bhyrathi Suresh; Madhu Bangarappa; and M.C. Sudhakar also took oath in the name of God.

Congress leader H.C. Mahadevappa took oath by truth and loyalty. K.N. Rajanna took oath in the name of Buddha, Basava, Ambedkar and Maharshi Valmiki.

Congress leader Shivanand Patil took oath in the name of Basavanna. S.S. Mallikarjun took oath in the name of God Kalleshwara.

Laxmi Hebbalkar took oath in the name of Jagajyothi Basaveshwara, Chatrapati Shivaji, Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, voters and her mother.

senior Congressman Rahim Khan took oath in the name of Allah. B. Nagendra, who defeated powerful BJP leader B. Sriramulu from Bellary district, took the oath in the name of Maharshi Valmiki and God. Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao also took oaths.

Besides Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, eight more ministers -- G. Parmeshwara, K.H. Muniyappa, K.J. George, M.B. Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Ramalimga Reddy, and B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan -- had taken oath last Saturday in Bengaluru. However, none of them have been allocated any portfolio yet.

Madhu Bangarappa, B. Nagendra, M.C. Sudhakar, Laxmi Hebbalkar, Bhyrathi Suresh, Mankal Vaidya and N.S. Boseraju assumed charge as cabinet ministers for the first time.