Congress MLA Basavaraj Shivannavar expressed hope on Sunday that he will receive a ministerial position in the Karnataka Cabinet led by Chief Minister designate DK Shivakumar. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for June 3.
Speaking from Haveri, Karnataka, Shivannavar also reiterated the demand for representation of the North Karnataka region’s community in the Cabinet. “I am also an aspirant for a ministerial position. For the past three years, I have been seeking a ministerial berth. My high command is Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. It was Siddaramaiah who blessed me, and it was DK Shivakumar who brought me into the party. We have demanded that our community from the North Karnataka region be given a ministerial position. We do not expect it in the first phase, but we are hopeful of getting a ministerial berth in the second phase,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Rai stated that the party’s high command will decide on the post of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president. “Only the BJP was leading for the last several years, so I think the high command will give priority where they have fewer seats. I am not demanding anything. About the KPCC (Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee), the high command will take a decision on it,” he said.
These remarks come as Karnataka Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar and caretaker Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are scheduled to meet the Congress high command in New Delhi on Monday to discuss cabinet berths and other political developments in the state. Both leaders will travel together from Bengaluru, accompanied by Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC Yateendra.
Speculation surrounds a possible cabinet position for Yateendra. Some ministers from Siddaramaiah’s current cabinet are expected to be replaced by new faces.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah has proposed forming a coordination committee in the state, a suggestion yet to be approved by the high command. Discussions are also expected regarding the appointment of Deputy Chief Minister(s).
A top Congress source told ANI the party is considering an OBC candidate for the KPCC president role. As DK Shivakumar, the current KPCC president, prepares to be sworn in as Chief Minister after serving three years as Deputy Chief Minister, the party seeks a leader who can effectively unify the organization with the government and deliver positive results in the upcoming assembly and 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The swearing-in ceremony for DK Shivakumar will take place at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru on June 3.
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