Caretaker Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah meets party top brass, final shape being given to DK Shicakumar cabinet
New Delhi, June 2
Senior Congress leaders from Karnataka have converged in Delhi as the party high command along with outgoing CM Siddaramaiah and CM designate DK Shivakumar meet to give final shape to the new cabinet in the state. A decision on ministerial berths and the Deputy CM will be taken during the course of the meetings.
The swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar is scheduled to take place at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday (June 3) at 4:00 pm.
Karnataka caretaker Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will join today's meeting with Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge ahead of DK Shivakumar's swearing-in ceremony as the Chief Minister. He also met External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar while he was in the hotel lobby as he was leaving for the meeting.
He left from a hotel in Delhi to join a meeting with Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge. When asked what the agenda would be during his meeting with Mallikarjun Kharge, he said, "I don't know."
Speculation is rife that several ministers from the outgoing Siddaramaiah cabinet may be dropped to make way for fresh leadership. However, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of the outgoing Chief Minister, confidently stated that Rahul Gandhi previously assured him of a cabinet induction.
Earlier today, Karnataka Congress MLA Priyank Kharge also met the party's national president in the national capital amid speculation that Priyank Kharge would likely be given the Top Post in the new state cabinet formation.
The meeting comes as a massive political huddle is underway in the national capital, as top Congress leaders and ministerial hopefuls from Karnataka have flocked to New Delhi to lobby for coveted cabinet berths.
With the Congress high command expected to finalise the ministerial list by today, the party is balancing a complex jigsaw puzzle of regional, caste, and social equations, alongside critical structural decisions regarding Deputy Chief Ministers and organisational leadership.
According to senior party insiders and MLAs, the cabinet expansion is highly anticipated to be executed in two instalments to manage the immense internal competition smoothly.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar today expressed gratitude to the Gandhi family for their role in shaping his political journey, a day ahead of his swearing-in ceremony as the state's next Chief Minister.
In a post on X, Shivakumar said the Gandhi family had influenced his political career not only through leadership but also through the trust and encouragement they extended to him over the years. "The Gandhi family has played a defining role in my political journey, not merely through leadership, but through the faith they placed in me at different stages of my life," Shivakumar said.
Furthermore, with Shivakumar elevating to the CM chair, the party is hunting for an OBC candidate to take over as the next Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President to maintain a harmonious bridge between the party cadre and the state government.
Amid these developments, the opposition has levelled sharp criticism at the incoming administration.BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka dismissed the leadership transition as "a change of driver", characterising it as a failure of the party to address the state's financial woes.
"The bus is already in the garage. Only the driver is changed, that's all. Siddaramaiah is leaving and DK Shivakumar is coming. The bus remains the same; there's no change in the bus. But it's just a change of driver," he said," he remarked.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Very happy for DK Shivakumar ji! He has worked hard for the party through thick and thin. The way the Gandhi family has supported him is heartwarming. But I hope he remembers the common people now - farmers, students, the working class. Let's see if the new cabinet brings development or just more drama. 👀
Interesting to see the Congress high command micro-managing everything from Delhi. This two-phase cabinet expansion seems like a messy compromise. Meanwhile, the state's debt is ₹4.5 lakh crore and growing. I hope the new CM focuses on governance instead of internal politics. Change is good, but only if it brings results.
Why is Yathindra Siddaramaiah being given a cabinet berth just because he's the son of the outgoing CM? This is the exact kind of dynasty politics we criticise other parties for. The Congress talks about democracy but practices family rule at every level. Very disappointing for young, deserving MLAs. 🙄
As a Kannadiga, I'm cautiously optimistic. DK Shivakumar has a reputation as a troubleshooter and organiser. He knows the ground realities. But RSS-bhakts will never give credit to Congress, no matter what they do. Let the man take charge first, then judge. 🚩
Reading this from the US, I'm struck by how complicated Indian politics is - caste equations, regional balancing, family dynasties. Meanwhile, Karnataka's IT sector is thriving but the state government
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