The Congress legislature party on Saturday passed a resolution and elected State Congress President and deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar as its new leader. He will now succeed Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka.
The CLP meeting, which was held at 4 pm in Vidhana Soudha's conference hall, was attended by all Congress legislators. In the meeting overseen by AICC general secretaries K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, Siddaramaiah proposed Shivakumar's name as the new leader of the legislature party. It was backed by Home Minister G Parameshwara.
After sending the letter confirming Shivakumar's election as CLP leader, he will meet Governor Gehlot to stake claim to form the new government.
Earlier in the day, Shivakumar met the governor at Lok Bhavan to informally discuss the swearing-in of the new CM and the Council of Ministers, including the dates for it. In the afternoon, he also visited the Bengaluru unit of Sri Kadasiddeshwara Mutt.
Who will be part of DKS cabinet?
D.K. Shivakumar is set to take oath as chief minister on June 3 at the Glass House of the Lok Bhavan. A few other ministers are also likely to be sworn in.
Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah have already discussed with the Congress high command regarding the new cabinet members amid intense lobbying from aspirants.
The Council of Ministers was dissolved by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday. Some of the ministers from the dissolved council are trying to secure their positions in the new cabinet.
On the other hand legilators who are hoping for a cabinet berth have also reached out to the high command in Delhi.
The new cabinet is likely to have a mix of both old and new members. The Congress leadership will also look into caste equations and regional factors along with the name of loyalists backed by Siddaramaiah.
One of the key faces in the ministry will be Siddaramiah's son Yathindra, who is likely to be inducted into the new Council of Ministers. Whether he will be inducted as deputy chief minister is still not confirmed. Meanwhile, the key contender to the post of state Congress President is Satish Jarkiholi.
