JNM Journalist Hardeep Jamwal, Jammu
With the formation of the new government in Karnataka, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and his team took their oaths of office on Wednesday. Along with the Chief Minister, 13 other ministers also took the oath of office and secrecy. The composition of the new cabinet is being viewed through the lens of political balance—an exercise aimed at addressing caste equations, ensuring regional representation, appeasing various factions, and providing equitable participation to different communities.
However, immediately following the government’s formation, an issue emerged that has sparked a new debate within political circles. Not a single female minister has been included in Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s inaugural cabinet. Questions regarding the complete absence of women have begun to surface, both from within and outside the Congress party.
Senior Congress leader and former Governor Margaret Alva also expressed her displeasure regarding this issue. In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, she congratulated Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar but simultaneously expressed her disappointment over the failure to allocate space for women in the cabinet.
Margaret Alva wrote that she had hoped at least one female Congress leader would be appointed as a minister in the new government, but this did not happen. She described the situation as “extremely disappointing.”
Political analysts believe that the Congress party has long advocated for increasing women’s political participation and promoting women’s empowerment. In this context, the absence of women in the new government’s first cabinet could provide the opposition with an opportunity to attack the administration.
Several women’s organizations and social activists have also raised questions, arguing that at a time when there is a nationwide discourse on granting greater political representation to women, the absence of even a single female minister in the new cabinet of a major state like Karnataka is a matter of concern.
As of now, there has been no official response from the Congress leadership regarding this issue. However, speculation is rife within political circles that this shortcoming could be rectified by including women during the upcoming cabinet expansion.
It now remains to be seen what steps Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the Congress leadership will take in response to the questions being raised regarding women’s representation, and whether or not women will ultimately find a place in the cabinet during future expansions.
