The JD(S)-Congress regime has not yet decided on expanding the two-member Cabinet, Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy said on Thursday.Leaders of both parties will meet and take a decision on the ministry expansion soon, the CM told reporters in Vidhana Soudha after holding a meeting with the officials of Education and Health departments. Kumaraswamy and G.Parameshwara took oath as CM and Deputy CM on May 23 in the presence of national leaders on the steps of Vidhana Soudha. While Kumaraswamy belongs to the dominant Vokkaliga community, Parameswhara is Karnataka 's first Dy CM from Dalit community.In the talks that followed, the Congress leaders have agreed to cede the Finance portfolio to Kumaraswamy, who has been busy these days holding meetings on waiving crop loans availed by farmers from cooperative and nationalized banks, a commitment his party had made in its election manifesto. AICC President Rahul Gandhi is away in the US, and the ministry expansion may have to wait till his return because leaders of both the parties are keen on wresting high-profile portfolios. Both parties are also grappling with long lists of ministerial aspirants, and the JD(S)-Congress regime will have to do a tight rope as any misstep could provoke dissidence.

Source: Economic Times May 31, 2018 13:30 UTC