Heavy lobbying is reportedly underway in Karnataka, as it has been confirmed that the Congress Cabinet will witness a reshuffle following D.K. Shivakumar's elevation as Chief Minister.

At the centre of the talks held on Friday over the revamped Karnataka Cabinet, with D.K. Shivakumar as Chief Minister, were Siddaramaiah's future role in state politics and the composition of the incoming government.

Veteran politician Siddaramaiah resigned as Chief Minister on Thursday but refused a Rajya Sabha seat. Suspense remains on the number of Deputy Chief Ministers to be included in the reshuffled Cabinet. It is also rumoured that Siddaramaiah's son, Yatindra, will be inducted into the Cabinet. Reports indicate the Ministry of Social Welfare is likely to be handed to him. Yatindra is an incumbent MLC and had accompanied his father to meet the Congress high command in Delhi on Friday.

Talks are also ongoing regarding the new state Congress President, a post currently held by Shivakumar. Senior MLA and former Minister Satish Jarkiholi is said to be the frontrunner for the post.

Earlier, news agency PTI had reported that the new Cabinet is likely to have a mix of both old and new members. Efforts will be made to strike a balance by ensuring representation whilst keeping caste equations, regions, and Siddaramaiah loyalists in mind.

The Congress Legislature Party is expected to formally elect Shivakumar as its leader at a Vidhana Soudha meeting at 4 pm on Saturday. He is expected to take oath as Chief Minister on June 3, Wednesday, multiple reports said.

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