Bengaluru, Aug. 3 -- Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's Cabinet expansion ran into immediate controversy on Monday after all 19 newly inducted ministers were men, leaving the Karnataka government without a single woman in the Council of Ministers despite the Congress having consistently projected itself as a champion of women's political empowerment.
The omission has sparked questions over the party's commitment to gender representation, particularly as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly advocated greater political participation for women and has backed legislation providing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also frequently accused the RSS and the BJP of pursuing a...