Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar took oath as the 25th Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday, holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand. He assumed the state's top post in a low-key swearing-in ceremony that marked the culmination of a long political journey and a carefully managed leadership transition within the party. Along with Shivakumar, veteran Congress leader G Parameshwara took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister along with 12 others, including Yathindra, the son of ex-Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shivakumar at 4:10 pm at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. Shivakumar, widely regarded as the Congress's key troubleshooter in southern India, succeeds Siddaramaiah, who stepped down on May 28 as part of a pre-arranged leadership transition agreed upon by the party leadership.
Shivakumar, a 64-year-old Vokkaliga leader who served as deputy to Siddaramaiah, was elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party on May 30 following Siddaramaiah's resignation. The transition came as part of a pre-arranged power-sharing arrangement within the party, bringing to a close a prolonged leadership tussle between the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps.
RAHUL GANDHI, SEERS ATTEND OATH CEREMONY
The low-key oath ceremony was attended by senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, besides Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states. Siddaramaiah, who was also present at the swearing-in ceremony, greeted Shivakumar after he took the oath.
Supporters of Shivakumar gathered in large numbers to witness the swearing-in, celebrating the elevation of a leader who played a pivotal role in the Congress's return to power in Karnataka. The newly sworn in Chief Minister also took the blessings of seers, who were also present at the swearing-in ceremony.
Over the years, Shivakumar has emerged as one of the Congress's most influential leaders, earning a reputation for crisis management and organisational skills. He was instrumental in safeguarding the party's interests during several political crises and has remained one of the Congress's strongest faces in the south.
The 13 MLAs who took oath along with Shivakumar are – Parameshwara, Yathindra (son of Siddaramaiah), Priyank Kharge (son of Mallikarjun Kharge), KH Muniyappa, KJ George, Ramalinga Reddy, MB Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Krishna Byregowda, UT Khader, Eshwara Khandre, Byrathi Suresh and Sharan Prakash Patil.
ALL EYES ON PORTFOLIO ALLOCATION
With the swearing-in completed, all eyes will be on the portfolio allocations of Shivakumar and his new team. The new cabinet is expected to strike a balance between the Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah caps. While most MLAs who were sworn in served in the outgoing Siddaramaiah government, former Assembly Speaker UT Khader and Yathindra, are among the notable new entrants.
Parameshwara could be entrusted with the Revenue Department. A former Karnataka Congress president, Parameshwara served as Home Minister in the Siddaramaiah government and was Deputy Chief Minister in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy between 2018 and 2019.
According to sources, Byregowda is likely to be assigned Bengaluru Development, excluding BMRDA, while Ramalinga Reddy may get Water Resources. Khader is expected to be entrusted with the Health portfolio, while MB Patil could retain Industries, and Sharan Prakash Patil may get Medical Education. Yathindra is also being considered for Urban Development, though the final allocation is yet to be cleared by the party leadership.
The cabinet shape-up followed hectic deliberations in Delhi on Tuesday involving the Congress high command, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi participated in the discussions as the party worked to balance regional, caste and factional equations.
The negotiations came amid intense lobbying by ministerial aspirants, many of whom travelled to Delhi over the past few days to press their claims before the leadership. With Karnataka permitted a ministry of up to 34 members, including the Chief Minister, the final portfolio allocation is being closely watched as an indicator of how power will be shared in the post-Siddaramaiah era.
