D K Shivakumar to be sworn in as Karnataka CM today with Cabinet

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar will be sworn in as the chief minister of the state on Wednesday, along with some ministers, in a ceremony planned at Lok Bhavan here.

The 64-year-old Vokkaliga strongman, who was elected as leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka on May 30, will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at 4.05 pm at Lok Bhavan's Glass House. Though it is not officially known how many ministers will take oath on Wednesday in the first phase, sources suggest that 12 to 14 may be sworn in.

By occupying the state's highest political office, the eighth-time MLA "DK Shi," as he is popularly called, Shivakumar will fulfil his long-cherished dream after a prolonged power tussle with Siddaramaiah, who stepped down as CM last week. Siddaramaiah resigned as directed by the Congress high command, paving the way for Shivakumar, considered the party's troubleshooter in South India, to assume the coveted position. The sanctioned strength of Karnataka's ministry is 34, including the CM. While some ministers from Siddaramaiah's cabinet are trying to secure their positions, legislators hoping for cabinet berths have also reached the national capital.

Shivakumar will head a cabinet meeting after the swearing-in ceremony. After seeing off LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, he will meet the state Congress office bearers, Block Presidents, District Presidents, Guarantee Committee heads and those invited to the party's Bharat Jodo Bhavan.

The swearing-in was earlier planned to be held on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha in front of a large gathering. However, due to concerns over peak-hour traffic disruption in Bengaluru caused by the anticipated influx of Congress workers and supporters from across the state, the swearing-in ceremony will reportedly be low-key.

According to sources, Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and party General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala are expected to attend the event. CMs from Congress and INDIA bloc-ruled states, along with several state and central leaders, dignitaries, and invitees, are also expected to be present. Religious leaders of all major communities, including heads of various maths, have been invited, sources said. Since it is an indoor event with limited seating capacity, entry will be restricted to invited guests only, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh told reporters.

New Karnataka cabinet likely to be small
The new Cabinet in Karnataka led by chief minister-designate D K Shivakumar is likely to be a small one with 13 ministers including some young faces, sources said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on landing in Bengaluru from Delhi late last night, Shivakumar said, "The names that are being speculated by the media for ministerial posts are not official. After 10 am or by noon (on Wednesday), the high command in Delhi will send the list of names. We will discuss and share our opinions, and after that, Delhi will make the final decision and send me the list. Thereafter, I will send the list to the Lok Bhavan."

The Congress named outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as a member of the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body. In Delhi, the top Congress leadership on Tuesday held day-long deliberations with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar regarding the new cabinet. According to sources, contenders for the new cabinet include Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge.

While the party is toying with the idea of having two deputy chief ministers, a section within the party feels no deputy chief minister should be sworn in on Wednesday, as there are many contenders, and a balancing act among various castes may not be possible with only two deputy chief ministers. G Parameshwara and Priyank Kharge are top contenders for the deputy chief minister's post, both being from the Dalit community. Shivakumar is not keen to have a deputy chief minister for now, as he has expressed his reservation on having another power centre in the state.

According to PTI, frontrunners for a cabinet berth include Krishna Byregowda and Dinesh Gundu Rao, besides Muslim face U T Khader, who is currently the Speaker of the state assembly. Besides a woman minister is also likely to be included in the ministry. Sources add that Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and Kharge camps are pushing for their confidantes for a berth in the new cabinet.

The top Congress leaders are still pressing Siddaramaiah to take up a Rajya Sabha seat, even though the former chief minister has expressed his desire to remain active in the state and not take up a role in national politics. The party leadership is also considering forming a joint coordination committee, led by Siddaramaiah, to ensure better, more effective coordination between the party and the government in Karnataka.

The Delhi parleys were also expected to address the question of who succeeds Shivakumar as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president. Senior MLA and former minister Satish Jarkiholi is said to be the frontrunner, though he is reportedly seeking a cabinet berth along with the organisational post, further complicating the arithmetic.