Karnataka CM Shivakumar heads to Delhi June 10 with 21 of 34 cabinet berths vacant
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K.
At a glance
- CM D.K. Shivakumar departs for Delhi at 9:30 a.m. on June 10, 2026, on a two-day visit, his first since taking oath as Karnataka CM on June 3
- Only 13 of 34 sanctioned cabinet posts were filled at the June 3 swearing-in, leaving 21 berths vacant
- Portfolios notified June 4: Shivakumar retained Finance; Deputy CM G. Parameshwara took Revenue
- Shivakumar to meet Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi on cabinet expansion and attend the 11th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting on June 11
- Aspirants lobbying in Delhi include Krishna Byre Gowda (seeking BDA and BMRDA), Rizwan Arshad, Ajay Singh and Srinivas Mane
VERDICT — CONFIRMED
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar departs Bengaluru at 9:30 a.m. on June 10 for a two-day Delhi visit — his first since taking oath on June 3 — to meet the Congress high command, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as a row over cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation intensifies. Deccan Herald reported a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also on the agenda, and Shivakumar is scheduled to attend the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog on June 11.
Only 13 ministers were sworn in against the sanctioned strength of 34, leaving 21 berths vacant, and portfolios notified on June 4 left Shivakumar holding Finance while Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara took Revenue. Senior ministers are reported to be dissatisfied with allocations, and aspirants have converged on Delhi to lobby ahead of the second-phase expansion: Minister Krishna Byre Gowda is seeking the Bengaluru Development Authority and BMRDA portfolios, while MLA Rizwan Arshad, Ajay Singh and Srinivas Mane are pressing claims for berths.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa said: 'I will abide by the high command's decision... The high command is aware of my seniority and will decide.'
Why it matters
with 21 cabinet berths open, the expansion is the first stress test of the Congress high command's management of the Siddaramaiah-to-Shivakumar power transfer in its most important southern state.
Update log · verification desk
Key facts on file
- CM D.K. Shivakumar departs for Delhi at 9:30 a.m. on June 10, 2026, on a two-day visit, his first since taking oath as Karnataka CM on June 3
- Only 13 of 34 sanctioned cabinet posts were filled at the June 3 swearing-in, leaving 21 berths vacant
- Portfolios notified June 4: Shivakumar retained Finance; Deputy CM G. Parameshwara took Revenue
- Shivakumar to meet Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi on cabinet expansion and attend the 11th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting on June 11
- Aspirants lobbying in Delhi include Krishna Byre Gowda (seeking BDA and BMRDA), Rizwan Arshad, Ajay Singh and Srinivas Mane
