Davanagere: The expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet under Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has thrown up a major surprise for Davanagere district, with first-time MLA K.S. Basavanthappa being inducted as a minister.
The Mayakonda MLA, who was not widely seen as a frontrunner for a Cabinet berth, secured a place in the new ministry.
Who is K.S. Basavanthappa?
K.S. Basavanthappa represents the reserved Mayakonda Assembly constituency and is serving his first term as an MLA. Hailing from a farming family, he won the 2023 Assembly election by defeating independent candidate B.M. Pushpa Vageeshswamy by a margin of 33,614 votes.
Political observers believe Basavanthappa's induction is part of the caste balancing exercise in the new Cabinet, particularly to provide representation to the Scheduled Caste (Left) community. He began his political career as a member of the Anagodu Zilla Panchayat before entering the Assembly.