Karnataka BJP slams CM Shivakumar over Cabinet delay, cites 'administrative paralysis'
Synopsis
Karnataka's ruling Congress is under fire for operating with just 13 ministers while 20 Cabinet seats sit empty — and the BJP is making it count. Opposition leader R. Ashoka has tied the Cabinet vacuum to crumbling school infrastructure, absent portfolio ministers, and a CAG-flagged welfare scheme where 19,020 beneficiaries allegedly share one bank account.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka is functioning with only 13 ministers , with 20 Cabinet berths still vacant as of 23 June .
Ashoka alleges key portfolios — Agriculture , School Education , Higher Education — have been without ministers for over a month.
More than 16,800 classrooms across 46,174 government schools are reportedly awaiting repairs; nearly 40% said to be in a dilapidated state.
Ashoka cited alleged CAG observations flagging that 19,020 Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries were linked to a single bank account.
The Congress government had not formally responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
Karnataka Leader of the Opposition and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader R. Ashoka on Tuesday, 23 June launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, alleging that the ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) government had failed to deliver stable governance and was stalling Cabinet expansion amid internal power struggles. The state government is currently operating with just 13 ministers, leaving 20 Cabinet berths vacant.
The Cabinet Vacuum
According to reports, the delay in expanding the Karnataka Cabinet has been attributed to differences within the ruling party. With the majority of portfolios yet to be assigned, Chief Minister Shivakumar is reportedly overseeing all unallotted departments himself — a situation Ashoka described as untenable.
Ashoka questioned why the Cabinet remained incomplete even after the conclusion of both the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections. 'Both the Rajya Sabha elections and the Legislative Council elections are over. Yet Karnataka still does not have a full Cabinet. What can Kannadigas expect from a helpless and rubber-stamp Chief Minister who is unable to carry out even a Cabinet expansion?' he said.
He further alleged that key portfolios — including Agriculture, School Education, and Higher Education — had been without dedicated ministers for over a month, resulting in what he called 'administrative paralysis.'
Crumbling Schools, Absent Accountability
Ashoka cited the state of government school infrastructure as evidence of governance failure. He claimed that more than 16,800 classrooms across Karnataka's 46,174 government schools were awaiting repairs, with nearly 40 per cent of classrooms reportedly in a dilapidated condition.
He alleged that the problem spanned multiple regions — Kalyana Karnataka, Kittur Karnataka, Malnad, Old Mysuru, and Bengaluru — with more than 80 government schools in the state capital alone said to be in a dangerous condition. Students and teachers, he claimed, were being forced to attend classes under unsafe conditions, with leaking roofs, crumbling walls, and damaged windows posing safety risks.
'School walls are collapsing, the administrative system is collapsing, but the Congress government is concerned only about political calculations and protecting chairs,' Ashoka said.
Gruha Lakshmi Scheme Under Scrutiny
The BJP leader also trained his fire on the implementation of the state's flagship Gruha Lakshmi welfare scheme, alleging large-scale irregularities in the disbursement of benefits. He cited what he described as observations by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), claiming they exposed serious shortcomings in the scheme's administration.
Notably, Ashoka alleged that as many as 19,020 beneficiaries had been linked to a single bank account number — raising questions about how funds released in the names of thousands of women could be credited to one account. 'Is this a welfare scheme or an organised loot?' he asked, demanding an explanation from the government.
Congress Yet to Respond
The Congress government had not issued a formal response to Ashoka's allegations at the time of reporting. The Cabinet expansion timeline remains unclear, and political observers in Bengaluru suggest the impasse reflects deeper factional tensions within the ruling party. How the government addresses both the administrative vacuum and the audit allegations is likely to shape the political narrative in Karnataka in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
And the BJP is exploiting every day of that vacuum. The Gruha Lakshmi allegation is the sharper edge: if CAG observations do confirm that nearly 19,000 beneficiaries were mapped to one account, that is not an administrative glitch — it is a structural failure in a scheme the Congress made central to its 2023 mandate. The government's silence so far only extends the opposition's news cycle.
NationPress
23 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Karnataka's Cabinet expansion been delayed?
The Karnataka Cabinet expansion has been delayed due to reported differences of opinion within the ruling Congress party over portfolio allocation. As of 23 June, the government is functioning with 13 ministers while 20 berths remain vacant, with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar overseeing all unassigned departments himself.
What did BJP's R. Ashoka allege about Karnataka's government schools?
R. Ashoka claimed that more than 16,800 classrooms across Karnataka's 46,174 government schools are awaiting repairs, with nearly 40 per cent said to be in a dilapidated condition. He alleged that over 80 schools in Bengaluru alone are in a dangerous state, with leaking roofs and crumbling walls posing safety risks to students and teachers.
What are the allegations against the Gruha Lakshmi scheme?
BJP leader R. Ashoka alleged, citing what he described as CAG observations, that 19,020 beneficiaries of the Gruha Lakshmi welfare scheme were linked to a single bank account number. He questioned how funds meant for thousands of women could be credited to one account and demanded a government explanation.
Which key portfolios are currently without ministers in Karnataka?
According to R. Ashoka, Karnataka has been without dedicated ministers for Agriculture, School Education, and Higher Education for over a month. He attributed this to the stalled Cabinet expansion and said it had caused administrative paralysis across these departments.
How has the Congress government responded to BJP's allegations?
The Congress government had not issued a formal response to R. Ashoka's allegations at the time of reporting. The Cabinet expansion timeline also remains publicly unconfirmed.
