Congress workers hold special prayers ahead of DK Shivakumar's oath-taking ceremony in Karnataka
Kanakpura, June 3
Congress workers held special prayers for CM-designate DK Shivakumar on Wednesday ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
In Shivakumar's Kanakapura Assembly constituency, banners, posters and large cutouts congratulating the senior Congress leader were put up around his residence as party supporters gathered to celebrate the occasion.
Shivakumar is scheduled to take oath as the Chief Minister at 4 pm at the Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru.
The swearing-in ceremony comes after the Congress leadership finalised the transition following the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Amid the celebrations, Congress leaders indicated that the formation of the new cabinet would take place in phases. Congress MLA TB Jayachandra said the party high command had finalised the schedule for the induction of ministers, with the first batch expected to take oath alongside Shivakumar.
"The high command has finalised that DK Shivakumar will take over as the CM. I am told that the first batch of ministers is likely to take the oath with the Chief Minister. With the Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha elections continuing until June 18, a second batch of cabinet formation is likely only after that," Jayachandra told ANI.
Congress MP Prabha Mallikarjun expressed optimism ahead of the ceremony and said party leaders were eagerly awaiting the moment when Shivakumar would formally assume office along with the first set of ministers.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Basvaraj Rayareddi said no final decision had been taken regarding ministerial portfolios and stressed that seniority alone would not determine cabinet positions. According to him, the party leadership would consider multiple factors before finalising the ministerial lineup.
On Tuesday, Shivakumar dismissed media speculation surrounding cabinet appointments and said the Congress high command would release the official list of ministers before the ceremony.
Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi held a key meeting in Delhi with Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah to finalise cabinet appointments, Rajya Sabha nominations and organisational matters ahead of the leadership transition in Karnataka.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The way Congress is handling this transition, it feels like they are more focused on power-sharing than governance. First Siddaramaiah, now Shivakumar — let's see if this change actually brings any benefit to common people like us.
Special prayers for a CM? 🤔 This is politics, not a religious ceremony. We need leaders who work on infrastructure, education, and healthcare, not those who rely on rituals. But I guess in India, everything has a spiritual angle!
The banners and cutouts in Kanakapura show that party workers are genuinely excited. Hope this energy translates into real work for Karnataka. But I'm concerned about the cabinet formation—so many factions in Congress, hope they don't waste time on internal politics.
I'm from Karnataka and I think Shivakumar is a capable leader. But the real test is how he handles the drought situation and farmer issues. We don't need more photo-ops, we need action. Let's see what the first 100 days bring! 🤞
Honestly, I'm tired of these leadership changes. It's the same faces, same promises, and same slogans. We need fresh young leaders with new ideas. But I guess in Indian politics, age and connections matter more than merit. 😔
N Naveen S < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.