Mysuru: Five legislators from the Mysuru and Malnad regions were inducted into chief minister DK Shivakumar’s cabinet on Monday, with two of them retaining ministerial berths from the previous Siddaramaiah govt.The cabinet expansion, however, left out several senior Congress leaders, triggering discontent in parts of the region.Mandya, the Vokkaliga stronghold, secured two cabinet berths. N Cheluvarayaswamy, who served as agriculture minister in the previous Siddaramaiah govt, retained his place. A four-time MLA and former MP from Nagamangala, he crossed over from JD(S) to Congress and is regarded as one of the party’s prominent Vokkaliga leaders in the district.Malavalli MLA PM Narendra Swamy was inducted into the cabinet. Earlier, in 2008, when he was elected as an independent MLA, he was inducted into BS Yediyurappa-led BJP govt as a social welfare minister. He was serving as chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) during the Siddaramaiah govt and had begun his political career in Youth Congress.Sorab MLA Madhu Bangarappa also retained his cabinet berth. He served as the primary education minister in the previous Siddaramaiah govt. The younger son of the former CM S Bangarappa, he was part of Congress manifesto committee in 2023.Four-time Chamarajanagar MLA C Puttarangashetty was inducted into the cabinet for the second time. He had earlier served in Congress-JD(S) coalition govt in 2018. He is the lone Congress MLA from the numerically significant Uppara community and defeated senior BJP leader V Somanna in the 2023 assembly election.Arasikere MLA KM Shivalingegowda, a four-time legislator, entered the cabinet for the first time. He joined Congress ahead of the 2023 assembly elections after leaving JD(S). During the Siddaramaiah govt, he served as chairman of Karnataka Housing Board.Gayathri misses out despite making initial listMLC Gayathri Shanthegowda figured in the list of probable ministers circulated to the media on Monday morning but did not make it to the final list. The last-minute exclusion came after intense lobbying for a limited number of berths. Gayathri, who recently became an MLC after a prolonged legal battle, was visibly emotional after missing out on the ministerial post. Several of her relatives and supporters from Chikkamagaluru had travelled to Bengaluru to witness the swearing-in ceremony.
