New Delhi/Bengaluru

Karnataka’smuch-awaited cabinet expansion is now likely to take place on Monday, with the final list of ministers expected to be cleared by Sunday night or Monday morning, sources close to Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said. According to the sources, the decision was taken at a meeting held at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi on Thursday.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and Congress Karnataka president B K Hariprasad attended the meeting.

Sources close to the chief minister told PTI that the leadership discussed the probable candidates for induction into the cabinet, taking into account caste, religion and regional representation.

“It was decided that the list of the probable candidates will be cleared on Sunday night or by Monday morning. The cabinet expansion is now likely to take place on Monday evening,” the sources said.

The expansion had earlier been expected to take place on Friday, but the schedule has now been pushed back following the discussions in Delhi, they added.