Bengaluru: According to government sources, senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar will take oath as the 25th Chief Minister of Karnataka on June 3 in Bengaluru. The decision comes days after his ally Siddaramaiah resigned from the post following a three-year-long power tussle.
Oath taking ceremony will take place in the glass house of Lok Bhawan.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place in the Glass House of Lok Bhawan. It will include senior Congress leaders, cabinet colleagues, party workers and supporters from across Karnataka. 64-year-old Shivakumar’s appointment comes after Siddaramaiah stepped down from the post after consulting the Congress high command in Delhi. This change is being considered as part of the arrangement already decided by the party leadership.
Siddaramaiah resigned on Thursday
Putting an end to months of speculation, Siddaramaiah resigned from the post of Chief Minister on Thursday. With this, the path to the top post was cleared for Deputy CM Shivkumar. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted his resignation. The 77-year-old leader had submitted his resignation to the Special Secretary at Lok Bhawan in the absence of the Governor. Gehlot was out of Bengaluru for personal reasons.
The tussle was going on since 2023
Shivakumar was being considered a strong contender for the top post after the victory of Congress in the 2023 assembly elections. Siddaramaiah informed his cabinet colleagues about his decision to step down at a breakfast meeting at his Bengaluru residence on Thursday. He indicated that Shivakumar would succeed him as per the instructions of the high command.
The Congress leadership had recently urged Siddaramaiah to ease the leadership transition. He was also offered a role at the national level and a Rajya Sabha seat. However, according to sources, Siddaramaiah has not yet accepted the central role.
Expected to be elected legislative party leader on Saturday
It is expected that Shivakumar will be formally elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party on Saturday. After this he will become Chief Minister-designate. This change has happened after several days of meetings in Delhi. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were called for a series of meetings with Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday.
There was discussion about the system of rotational chief minister since the formation of the government in 2023. According to this formula, Siddaramaiah had to step down after two and a half years so that Shivakumar could handle the remaining term. At that time neither the Congress leadership nor Siddaramaiah publicly accepted it. This speculation intensified after Siddaramaiah completed two and a half years in office in November last year.
On Friday, Siddaramaiah along with his son Yatindra met Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi. This is giving rise to speculations that Yatindra may get a place in the new cabinet. Discussions are ongoing on the composition of the new cabinet and it may include new faces along with old ministers.
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