No woman in cabinet after Gayathri’s name dropped from final expansion list

Karnataka's Congress Cabinet was sworn in on Aug 4, 2026, with no woman minister after Gayathri Shanthegowda was excluded from the final list.

Gayathri, a Kuruba leader, was dropped after former chief minister Siddaramaiah raised concerns about not being consulted on her appointment.

BJP state president BY Vijayendra criticized the Congress for having only one woman in the cabinet and for opposing the women's bill.

Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva expressed disappointment over the lack of a woman minister in the new cabinet.

Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar defended the decision, saying there are vacancies and last time no women were in the first round.