Women Congress MLAs Demand At Least Two Cabinet Berths in New Karnataka Government

In Bengaluru, women Congress legislators, including those representing areas such as Hebbal, have demanded at least two ministerial berths in the new state government. The female Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are seeking to address what they describe as a persistent under-representation of women in the state cabinet, insisting that the party high command address these representation gaps as they form the new administration.

The demand comes at a time of renewed national focus on gender representation in political leadership. In the outgoing Karnataka government, Laxmi Hebbalkar was the only woman to hold a cabinet portfolio, serving as the sole female member in Siddaramaiah's cabinet. This limited representation occurred despite the fact that the Congress party had five women MLAs elected to the state assembly. The legislators are now aiming to secure better representation and at least two cabinet portfolios for women in the state government.

Hebbalkar spoke out on the issue, noting that the current national debate over the 33 percent reservation for women makes this the ideal time to secure more representation in the state's executive branch. She stated that she believes the party's high command will definitely induct more than two women into the cabinet.

Hebbalkar also took the opportunity to address political rumors regarding her own career. She dismissed speculation that she was actively seeking to be appointed as the deputy chief minister in the incoming government.

The push by the female MLAs highlights Karnataka's historically poor record of appointing women to ministerial positions, making their demands particularly significant. Although the Congress party supported the passage of the federal Women's Reservation Act in 2023, the state's female legislators are now calling for practical implementation of these representation goals within the new state cabinet.