Bengaluru, June 5 -- Veteran Congress leader and former union Minister Margaret Alva's public expression of "deep disappointment" over the absence of women in Karnataka's new Cabinet put the spotlight on gender representation in the DK Shivakumar government on Friday, prompting the Chief Minister to assure that women would be accommodated when the ministry is expanded.
As criticism mounted from both within the Congress and the Opposition BJP, Shivakumar defended the composition of his first Cabinet, saying several ministerial positions remain vacant and opportunities would be provided in the coming days. "Let them wait; there are a lot of vacancies. Last time, too, there were no women in the first round. We are all there," he told reporter...