D K Shivakumar’s 13-member Cabinet, a mix of old-timers and new faces

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Jun 4, 2026: D K Shivakumar on Wednesday was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, replacing Siddaramaiah. Along with the CM, 13 other ministers were also sworn-in.

While the Shivakumar Cabinet had several senior leaders from the previous Cabinet, some new faces have also been inducted. The new Cabinet has three ministers each from the Lingayat and Scheduled Caste (SC) community, two each from the Vokkaliga and Kuruba communities. The Reddy, Scheduled Tribe (ST), Christian and Muslim communities are represented by one minister each.

A majority of the new ministers are from South Karnataka, with four ministers from Bengaluru Urban district, one each from Bengaluru South, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Mysuru and Dakshina Kannada districts. The remaining ministers are from North Karnataka – two from Kalaburagi district and one each from Belagavi, Vijayapura and Bidar districts.

More ministers are likely to be sworn in later.

Here are the ministers who took oath:

Dr G Parameshwara (Koratagere MLA), Tumakuru district

Hailing from the SC community, the 74-year-old is a PhD in Plant Physiology from Australia. He entered politics in the 1980s and won his first Assembly election from Madhugiri in 1989.

He has represented Koratagere and later Tumakuru constituencies. Parameshwara has held portfolios such as Higher Education, Home, and has also served as Deputy Chief Minister under H D Kumaraswamy in the JD(S)-Congress coalition government.

Parameshwara is also one of the longest‑serving state party chiefs. Known for his academic background and calm demeanour, he has been a key Dalit face in the state Congress.

K H Muniyappa (Devanhalli MLA), Bengaluru Rural

Hailing from Kolar district Muniyappa, 78, is the senior-most minister in the Shivakumar Cabinet and belongs to the Madiga SC community.

A veteran Congressman, he served as MP from Kolar for seven consecutive terms (1991-2014) and has been Union minister in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet handling key portfolios like Road Transport & Highways, Railways, and MSMEs. In 2023, he returned to state politics, winning from Devanahalli (SC) and becoming Minister for Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. His daughter Roopa Shashidar is also an MLA.

K J George (Sarvagnanagar MLA), Bengaluru Urban

Born in Kerala’s Kottayam district, the 76-year old migrated to Kodagu and later settled in Bengaluru. A close aide of Siddaramaiah, George has been elected multiple times from Sarvagnanagar constituency.

His political career began in the Youth Congress in the 1960s, after which he rose through organisational ranks. He has held portfolios including Home, Bengaluru Development & Town Planning, Industries, and was previously Energy minister in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet.

Known for his organisational skills, George is considered one of the Congress’s most resourceful urban leaders, with strong influence in Bengaluru politics and close ties to the party high command.

M B Patil (Babaleshwar MLA), Vijayapura district

The 61-year-old is an engineer by training. Patil, a Lingayat, entered politics in 1991, winning from Tikota, and later served as MP from Bijapur (1998-99).

He has been elected five times as MLA, currently representing Babaleshwar. As Water Resources minister (2013-18), he revived stalled irrigation projects, and also served as Home Minister under H D Kumaraswamy. In 2023, he became Minister for Industries and Infrastructure Development.

Known for his clean image and educational philanthropy through BLDE Association, he is often seen as a potential chief ministerial contender due to his Lingayat base and administrative experience. His brother Sunilgouda Patil was formerly an MLC.

Ramalinga Reddy (BTM Layout MLA), Bengaluru Urban district

Reddy entered politics through the Congress’s student wing NSUI in the 1970s and served as a corporator before becoming MLA. He has represented BTM Layout since 2008, before which he won multiple terms from Jayanagar constituency.

In his long political career, Reddy has held diverse portfolios such as Food & Civil Supplies, Primary & Secondary Education & Sakala, Transport, and Home Affairs (2017-18). In 2023, he was sworn in as Transport and Muzrai Minister. His daughter Sowmya Reddy is a former MLA.

Satish Jarkiholi (Yemkanmardi MLA), Belagavi district

With Shivakumar’s elevation as CM, Jarkiholi – who hails from a powerful political family – is being considered as a “CM-in-waiting”. Belonging to the Valmiki community, he entered politics through the Janata Dal before joining Congress in the early 2000s.

A five‑time MLA from Yemkanmardi, the 64-year-old is known for his grassroots activism and outspoken style. Jarkiholi has held portfolios including Small Scale Industries and Public Works Department. Jarkiholi is a strong Congress face among tribal and rural voters. He is said to command the support of many legislators from his community and the North Karnataka region. He was also seen as an aspirant for the Karnataka Congress president post.

Krishna Byregowda (Byatarayanapura MLA), Bengaluru Urban district

Educated at Christ College, Bengaluru, and Tufts University, USA, he entered politics in 1999. Byregowda, a Vokkaliga, has represented Byatarayanapura constituency since 2008. He was Agriculture minister in the first Siddaramaiah Cabinet, where he introduced reforms in crop insurance and farmer welfare, and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj minister in the coalition government.

In 2023, he was appointed Minister for Revenue. Known for his technocratic approach and articulate speeches, Byregowda is considered one of the Congress’s modern leaders.

Priyank Kharge (Chittapur MLA), Kalaburagi district

The 47-year old is the son of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. He entered state politics in 2009 following senior Kharge’s foray into national politics and won from Chittapur constituency. Priyank has held portfolios such as IT & BT and Social Welfare.

In 2023, he became Minister for Rural Development & Panchayat Raj. Known for his outspoken criticism of BJP policies and the RSS, Priyank represents the younger generation of Congress leaders. He is also active in Dalit rights advocacy, and has cultivated a technocrat’s image, apart from pursuing causes for social justice.

U T Khader (Mangalore MLA), Dakshina Kannada district

Khader, the lone Muslim in the Cabinet, succeeded his father U T Fareed and is a five-time MLA. He was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly during Siddaramaiah’s tenure as CM from 2023-26. Previously, he has held portfolios such as Health & Family Welfare and Food & Civil Supplies.

Khader is a popular minority leader from the coastal Karnataka region. He was also the first Muslim to be the Speaker of the Assembly.

Eshwar Khandre (Bhalki MLA), Bidar district

Khandre, a Lingayat, entered politics in the 1990s. A four‑time MLA from Bhalki, he has served as Minister for Municipal Administration and later as KPCC Working President. In 2023, he was appointed Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment.

Khandre is also the president of the powerful All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of Lingayats. His son Sagar Khandre is the Lok Sabha MP from Bidar.

Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah (MLC), Mysuru district

Yathindra Siddaramaiah, the son of former CM Siddaramaiah, is the only MLC in the list of ministers inducted Wednesday. A medical doctor and MD in Pathology, by profession, he entered politics after the death of his elder brother Rakesh Siddaramaiah.

He was elected MLA from Varuna constituency in 2018, succeeding his father. He was elected MLC after he vacated the Varuna seat for his father to contest the 2023 polls.

Byrathi Suresh (Hebbal MLA), Bengaluru Urban

Suresh hails from the Kuruba community and is a businessman‑turned‑politician. He entered politics relatively recently and was elected MLC in 2012, before becoming MLA from Hebbal constituency in 2018. An aide of Siddaramaiah, Suresh has built influence in Bengaluru’s northern belt. In 2023, he was appointed Minister for Urban Development.

Dr Sharan Prakash Patil (Sedam MLA), Kalaburagi district

Patil belongs to the Lingayat community and is a medical doctor by training. He entered politics in the 1990s and has been elected multiple times from Sedam. He has held the Medical Education portfolio twice.