Karnataka women’s groups protest all-male cabinet expansion

“An all-male cabinet is not acceptable,” declared the collective If We Do Not Rise — Karnataka, following the state government’s decision to exclude women entirely from its newly expanded ministry. The group warned that the move effectively renders women invisible in the decision-making process and contradicts the Congress party’s own platform.

Editorial·August 6, 2026·reads: 1,000

Karnataka women’s groups protest all-male cabinet expansion

In a formal letter addressed to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the collective expressed deep dismay over the lack of female representation. Despite women comprising nearly half of the state's electorate and serving as the party's primary voter base in the 2023 Assembly elections, the ministry remains exclusively male. The group pointed out that while the Congress party frequently champions a 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament, this recent cabinet expansion ignores those commitments. By failing to appoint a single woman, the administration has effectively sidelined the voices of those who hold leadership roles in sectors ranging from agriculture and technology to civil society and local government.

The association stressed that female participation is a constitutional responsibility rather than a symbolic gesture. They urged the government to rectify the exclusion by appointing capable women to ministerial portfolios, arguing that administrative and political growth requires diverse leadership. This critique follows the official oath-taking ceremony at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru, where the cabinet reached its full capacity of 34 members under the approval of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. Beyond the protest from women's groups, the expansion has also sparked internal friction within the Congress party as several senior leaders voiced their own dissatisfaction regarding the selection process.