Karnataka cabinet expansion: Ramalinga Reddy is new Home Minister

First time MLA from Gundlupet Geetha Mahadevprasad is the wife of late H S Mahadeva Prasad.

Senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy is the new Home Minister of Karnataka. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inducted three other ministers into the cabinet on Friday including first time MLA from Gundlupet Geetha Mahadeva Prasad aka Mohana Kumari.

Ramalinga Reddy, the BTM strongman has been handed over the Home portfolio that was with the Chief Minister after G Parameshwara resigned from the Home Minister's post earlier this year. Three Congress legislators, H M Revanna, R B Thimarpur and Geetha Mahadeva Prasad were inducted into the cabinet and took oath at the Raj Bhavan on Friday.

Geetha Mahadeva Prasad who registered a thumping victory in the Gundlupet bypoll riding high on sympathy wave has been handed the Sugar and small scale industries portfolio. H M Revanna has taken over from Ramalinga Reddy as the Transport minister while MLC R B Thimarpur, a Dalit leader has been made the minister for Excise.

Siddaramaiah has given labour minister Santosh Lad additional portfolio of skill development. The cabinet expansion was in the pipeline for months now. Ramanath Rai was a contender to the Home portfolio given the situation in Mangaluru but the Chief Minister decided on handing the portfolio to Ramalinga Reddy.

The induction of new ministers has not found favour among all quarters of the Congress. KPCC Chief Parameshwar gave the swearing-in ceremony a miss giving rise to speculations over disgruntlement among the party leaders. The cabinet expansion has come keeping in mind the 2018 assembly elections in Karnataka.

OneIndia News