Why DK Shivakumar’s Karnataka Cabinet Has No Woman Minister Despite Congress’ Women-Centric Poll Promises

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s first Cabinet expansion has triggered a political debate. The government formed a 33-member Council of Ministers without including a single woman. Leaders had expected the reshuffle to balance caste equations, regional representation and party factions. Instead, the absence of women dominated the discussion. Critics questioned the Congress’ commitment to women’s representation. The issue also put the party on the defensive because it won strong support from women through welfare schemes like Gruha Lakshmi and Shakti.

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Gayathri Shanthegowda Dropped at the Last Minute

The controversy grew after the Congress dropped MLC Gayathri Shanthegowda at the last minute. Party leaders had reportedly included her in the high command’s approved list. However, they removed her before the swearing-in ceremony. Leaders blamed technical reasons for the change. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar assured that the government would induct a woman minister later. The party also replaced Bhatkal MLA Mankal S. Vaidya with Davangere North MLA S.S. Mallikarjun after making last-minute political adjustments.

The all-male Cabinet has once again raised questions about the Congress’ record on women’s political representation. In the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, the party gave tickets to only 11 women out of 224 candidates. Four of them won. The BJP fielded 12 women candidates, and three secured victories. Women played a major role in the Congress’ election win. Even so, both major parties gave very few tickets to women. The Karnataka Assembly now has only 10 women MLAs, showing that women remain underrepresented in state politics.

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Factional Politics and Caste Equations Shape Cabinet

Gayathri Shanthegowda’s exclusion also carried political significance. She belongs to the Kuruba community, the same community as former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Many leaders saw her induction as a way to balance Congress factions and ensure women’s representation in the Cabinet. However, party leaders reportedly dropped her after intense negotiations between the camps of DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. Competing demands for the limited Cabinet berths influenced the final decision.

The Cabinet expansion has given the BJP an opportunity to attack the Congress. The BJP questioned the party’s commitment to women’s empowerment. It also highlighted the Women’s Reservation law introduced by the NDA government at the Centre. Meanwhile, the Congress faces growing criticism for excluding women from Karnataka’s top decision-making body. Political attention has now shifted to whether the party will soon induct a woman minister, as promised by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

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