Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has proposed inducting a woman into the state Cabinet and will discuss the matter when summoned by the Congress leadership in Delhi, news agency Press Trust of India reported on Sunday.The Karnataka cabinet led by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has no women ministers, making it an all-male council with zero female representation.Shivakumar had said last week that a woman minister would join the Cabinet before the Karnataka legislature's Winter Session, scheduled to be held from December 2 to 11 at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi. Pressure has been mounting on him to fill one of the two vacant Cabinet posts with a woman.Shivakumar said he would travel to Delhi on Monday to attend the release of Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi's autobiography and return to Bengaluru the same night.
Asked whether he would discuss the Cabinet proposal with the Congress high command during the visit, Shivakumar told PTI: "I don't know whether it will be possible to discuss tomorrow, but I have already placed the proposal before the leadership in Delhi. They said they would call me.
There is a need, I will do it. I will discuss it at the appropriate time."Two months after taking charge as chief minister, Shivakumar expanded his Cabinet on August 3 by inducting 19 ministers, taking its strength to 33 against the permitted size of 34.
Two posts are now vacant following the resignation of B Nagendra, who was facing corruption charges. Asked about the arrangements and reported management problems at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha ahead of the legislature session, Shivakumar said Speaker G S Patil would examine the matter."The Speaker will take care of it.
I will ask the DC (Deputy Commissioner) to look into what the problems are," he said.On the Mekedatu project and opposition to Karnataka's position from Tamil Nadu, including from the state's Congress president B Manickam Tagore, Shivakumar said he had already raised the matter with the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi."We have to respect the law of this country. Whatever the court says, we have to implement it.
Politically, they may oppose it, and they are free to express their views. Tamil Nadu has a big legal team and let them understand the legal position.
We are not going to stop anyone from voicing their opposition, but we have to do our job," Shivakumar told PTI.Asked whether his interactions with the prime minister had caused discomfort within the Karnataka BJP, Shivakumar said he believed in respecting constitutional positions and working with the Centre on development."I have to give the PM respect for his position, just as he has to respect the CM. I had said earlier too that we could fight politically during elections but should work together on development.
We will continue to do that," he said.On the pending announcement of the Hiriyur Assembly bypoll, Shivakumar said the party was waiting for the Election Commission's decision while continuing its preparations. He said he would take part in the 'Praja Seva' programme in Hiriyur on November 21 and had directed officials to make the necessary arrangements."I was expecting the elections to be announced, but it has not happened yet.
We have got time. I will go and listen to people's grievances," he said.Shivakumar said the proposal to induct a woman minister was already before the Congress leadership, while his government continued preparations for the legislature session, pursued the Mekedatu issue and awaited the announcement of the Hiriyur bypoll.- Ends(With PTI inputs)