Archive · 13 Aug 2026
DK Shivakumar Reshuffles Karnataka Cabinet; Women Still Unrepresented
D.K. Shivakumar is the chief minister of Karnataka, a state in India.
He leads a group of important leaders called the cabinet who help run the state.
On Wednesday, he changed the jobs of some of those leaders in a move called a cabinet reshuffle.
This happened right before the state Assembly's monsoon session, which is expected to continue until August 27.
Earlier in August, he had added 19 new leaders to the cabinet.
Even after all these changes, the cabinet still has no women in it.
Many people have strongly criticized the fact that no women were included.
Shivakumar kept the most important jobs, like finance and law, for himself.
He had earlier said there was no rush to give out the jobs.
Some ministers, such as Ramalinga Reddy, were moved to new jobs instead.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar reshuffled the cabinet on Wednesday, redistributing portfolios among ministers.
The reshuffled cabinet still contains no women ministers, drawing severe criticism.
A 14-member cabinet was sworn in on June 3, and 19 more Congress legislators were inducted on August 3.
Portfolios were assigned on the eve of the monsoon session of the Karnataka Assembly, expected to continue until August 27.
Shivakumar kept finance, law, intelligence, and other key portfolios, while Ramalinga Reddy moved from water resources to forests.
- Who
- Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the ministers whose portfolios were reassigned, including Ramalinga Reddy, N. Chaluvarayaswamy, Zameer Ahmed Khan, K.H. Muniyappa, Madhu Bangarappa, Basavaraj Rayareddi, U.T. Khader, and M.B. Patil.
- What
- A cabinet reshuffle that redistributed portfolios, following an expansion that added 19 Congress legislators, and that left women without representation.
- When
- On Wednesday, on the eve of the Karnataka Assembly's monsoon session, which is expected to continue until August 27.
- Where
- Karnataka, India.
- Why
- Portfolios were assigned on the eve of the monsoon session after the cabinet expansion; Shivakumar had said there was no urgency in allocating portfolios, and critics faulted the continued absence of women in the cabinet.
Critics
Chief Minister Shivakumar
Women's representation in the cabinet
Critics
Critics have severely criticized the reshuffle because the cabinet remains devoid of any woman representative.
Chief Minister Shivakumar
The article records no direct response to the criticism; the reshuffle proceeded without adding women ministers, and Shivakumar said there was no urgency in allocating portfolios.
Timing of portfolio allocation
Critics
Portfolios were assigned only after a delay, on the eve of the Assembly's monsoon session.
Chief Minister Shivakumar
Two days earlier, Shivakumar had said there was no urgency in allocating portfolios and that he would reply to questions on the departments in the Assembly.
- Chief Minister
- D.K. Shivakumar
- Women in cabinet
- None
- Initial cabinet
- 14 members sworn in on June 3
- Cabinet expansion
- 19 Congress legislators added on August 3
- Portfolios kept by CM
- Finance, cabinet affairs, intelligence, personnel and administrative reforms, information, law, justice and human rights, parliamentary affairs and legislation, agriculture marketing, and town and country planning
- Key portfolio changes
- Chaluvarayaswamy (water resources), Ahmed Khan (housing), Muniyappa (social welfare), Bangarappa (school education), Rayareddi (higher education), Khader (health), Patil (commerce and industries)
- Ramalinga Reddy
- Moved from water resources to forests
- Monsoon session
- Expected to continue until August 27