With Cabinet expansion on cards, Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar meet top Congress leaders

New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with his deputy D.K. Shivakumar, on Thursday held meetings with senior Congress leaders to decide on the cabinet expansion in the state.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar arrived in the national capital on Wednesday evening separately.

The two leaders on Thursday morning first met General secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal at his residence here and then proceeded for a meeting with the senior leaders at party's war room here.

Venugopal, state incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar then discussed 15 to 20 names of lawmakers who will be inducted in the state cabinet, sources said, adding that the meeting lasted for over three hours.

A party source said that names of 20 ministerial probables were discussed and a final call will be taken by party President Mallikarjuna Kharge once the names are sent to him.

The source said that most of the ministers are to be from the Siddamaraiah camp whereas Shivakumar will get at least three to four portfolios, including two big ones.

The decision on the names of the new ministers will be finalised by Friday evening after the two leaders also meet Kharge.

Besides Siddaramaian and Shivakumar, eight more ministers -- G. Parmeshwara, K.H. Muniyappa, K.J. George, M.B. Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyanka Kharge, Ramalimga Reddy and B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan -- had taken oath on Saturday in Bengaluru.

Party sources said that Krishna Byre Gowda, Laxman Savadi, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Saleem Ahmed, Santosh Lad, Dinesh Gundu Rao, H.K. Patil, Eshwar Khandre, Tanveer Sait, Dr H.C.Mahadevappa, B.K. Reddy and B.K. Hariprasad are among the probables.

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