Siddaramaiah to be sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka today, DK Shivakumar to become Dy CM

Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. ANI

After days of deciding who will acquire the Chief Minister’s seat in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah will finally be sworn in as the next CM today while DK Shivakumar will become the deputy Chief Minister.

Some sources have also said that eight legislators are likely to be sworn in as Ministers along with them.

Last week, Congress bagged a sweeping victory in the southern state, bringing an end to BJP’s term.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were in Delhi till late Friday night discussing with the party’s high command the names of ministers to be inducted into the new cabinet and the allocation of portfolios.

Among those who will be sworn in today include G Parameshwara, K H Muniyappa, K J George, M B Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Ramalinga Reddy, and B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has sent invites to several members of like-minded parties. The oath-taking ceremony will be held in Bengaluru’s Kanteerava Stadium at 12:30 pm.

Siddaramaiah,75, will become the Chief Minister for the second term after his earlier five-year stint in 2013. While Shivakumar, 61, who had earlier worked as Minister under Siddaramaiah, will also continue as the party’s Karnataka state president till the Parliamentary elections next year.

Bengaluru gears up for swearing-in ceremony

Posters of the Gandhi family with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have been put up across Bengaluru ahead of the oath-taking ceremony.

“Today is the swearing-in ceremony of the CM, Deputy CM, and eight MLAs who will take oath as the ministers (in the state cabinet), everyone is attending it. I am going for the same. It is a matter of delight that a new and strong Congress government has come to power in Karnataka. This will benefit Karnataka and it is creating a good environment in the country,” Kharge told ANI before leaving for Bengaluru.

Invitations have been extended to leaders like Hemant Soren, Sitaram Yechuri, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Congress has a lot on its plate

While the Congress has won the only erstwhile BJP-ruled state, the grand old party has a number of promises it has to keep up to.

In its election manifesto, Congress promised to implement the ‘guarantees’ of 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti), on the very first day of assuming power in the state.

Shivakumar said on Friday, “Fulfilling the promises made to the people is our first priority.”

With inputs from agencies

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