Sadananda Gowda expands cabinet, 21 new ministers inducted

Bangalore, Aug 8 (ANI): The newly elected Karnataka Chief Minister, DV Sadananda Gowda, on Monday inducted 21 new ministers into his cabinet.

Governor H.R. Bharadwaj administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers in a function held at the Raj Bhavan here.

All the news ministers were members of erstwhile cabinet.

The ministers, who took the oath of office today are Jagadish Shettar, V S Acharya, R Ashoka, C M Udasi, C C Patil, Govind Karjol, M P Renukacharya, S Suresh Kumar, Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri, J Krishna Palemar, Shobha Karndlaje, S A Ravindranath, Umesh Katti, Murugesh Nirani, S A Ramdas, Laxman Savadi, Revenunaik Belamagi, V Somanna, A Naryanaswamy, Basavaraj Bommai and B N Bacchegowda.

The Reddy brothers have failed to return to the ministry.

Former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who resigned from his post after being indicted in Lokayukta Justice (retired) N. Santosh Hedge's report on illegal mining, was present on the occasion along with current state chief Gowda and State BJP President K.S. Eshwarappa.

Fifty-eight year-old Gowda, who was sworn-in as the chief minister on August 4, is an MP from Udupi Chikmagalur. He has been BJP state president and a non-controversial one - a considerable feat in a unit that has several power centres.

Gowda has also been an MLA and deputy leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly.

He was the State President of the BJP in Karnataka and was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 and 2009. (ANI)