Congress leader DK Shivakumar will take oath as Karnataka’s new chief minister on Wednesday. Senior party leaders in Delhi said that around 13 ministers will also join the new cabinet.
The Congress has not yet decided on the deputy chief minister's post. Party leaders said they may announce a deputy CM later during a cabinet expansion. They may also wait until after the Rajya Sabha elections in the state.
Key Leaders Likely to Join Cabinet
Party sources said the first batch of ministers may include G Parameshwara, KJ George, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Priyank Kharge, MB Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Krishna Byre Gowda, Ramalinga Reddy, UT Khader and Eshwar Khandre.
Some leaders also named Roopakala Shashidhar and former Rajya Sabha member BK Hariprasad as possible ministers. Other names under consideration include KH Muniyappa, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and Byrati Suresh.
G Parameshwara Emerges as Top Deputy CM Contender
Sources said G Parameshwara remains the leading candidate for deputy chief minister if the party creates the post now. He is a senior Dalit leader and currently serves as Karnataka’s home minister.
After reaching Bengaluru on Tuesday night, Shivakumar told reporters that the party high command would send the final list of ministers by Wednesday morning or later in the afternoon.
Congress Leaders Hold Late-Night Talks
Senior Congress leaders continued discussions until late Tuesday night. They worked to finalise the cabinet before the swearing-in ceremony. The discussions involved Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, and party general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala.
A senior leader said the government would expand the cabinet after about a month. The party could not complete discussions on all ministerial posts in time.
Congress Seeks Political Balance
Party leaders discussed appointing a deputy chief minister to balance the interests of Shivakumar's supporters and the camp of former chief minister Siddaramaiah. However, they postponed the final decision. Sources said Shivakumar and some senior leaders did not support the immediate appointment of a deputy chief minister.
“Shivakumar was appointed as the deputy CM when Siddaramaiah became CM in 2023 because the former was also a contender for the top post. A similar situation does not arise now,” said a second Congress leader.
Earlier, many leaders viewed Priyank Kharge and Yathindra Siddaramaiah as strong contenders for the deputy CM post.
Siddaramaiah Gets a Bigger Role in Congress
Ahead of the cabinet formation, Mallikarjun Kharge inducted Siddaramaiah into the Congress Working Committee (CWC). The CWC is the Congress party’s highest decision-making body. The move highlights Siddaramaiah’s importance within the organisation.
Oath Ceremony Scheduled for Wednesday
The Congress Legislature Party elected Shivakumar as its leader on May 30. He will take oath at 4.05 pm on Wednesday at Lok Bhavan.
The first group of ministers will also take oath during the ceremony. The event will officially mark the beginning of the new Congress government in Karnataka.