Stage set for D.K. Shivakumar to over as new CM of Karnataka

The stage is set for eight-time legislator and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar to be sworn in as the 34th Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday evening at Lok Bhavan, which completes the leadership transition from outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that started last week.

The list of Cabinet ministers – speculated to be between 10 and 15 – to be sworn in along with Mr. Shivakumar is expected to be released by the Congress central leadership on Wednesday. Speculation about the induction of new faces to the Cabinet along with those who had served under Mr. Siddaramaiah is also doing the rounds. The Cabinet is expected to be expanded after Rajya Sabha elections. There is no clarity on the Deputy Chief Minister posts yet, sources said.

Among the Congress leaders attending the event include the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress Chief Ministers V.D. Satheeshan (Kerala), Revanth Reddy (Telengana) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh). A host of religious leaders, students, pourakarmikas, farmers’ leaders, Dalit leaders and Kannada activists have also been invited to the event.

The eve of the swearing in saw continued deliberations by the leaders to finalise the list amid hectic lobbying for the post by the legislators in Delhi. Both leaders, who were in Delhi since Monday, left for Bengaluru late on Tuesday night after holding discussions with the central leaders.

Meawhile, posters and buntings were put up by Mr. Shivakumar’s supporters across Bengaluru in anticipation of the ceremony. The event at Lok Bhavan itself will be low-key, though Mr. Shivakumar’s supporters, particularly in his home town Kanakapura, are expected to hold big celebrations. Traffic restrictions have been put in place in Bengaluru, particularly in CBD area.

Siddaramaiah appointed CWC member

The outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was on Tuesday appointed as A member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body in the party. The party seems to have accommodated the veteran OBC leader after he paved the way for a smooth transition of power to D.K. Shivakumar. While Mallikarjun Kharge is the president of the Congress, Jairam Ramesh and Syed Naseer Ahmed are members of CWC from Karnataka. MLC B.K. Hariprasad is a permanent invitee.