Karnataka CLP meet to decide on cabinet structure, leadership: Ahmed

Karnataka Congress is holding a CLP meeting to decide on key governmental and organisational matters, including the cabinet structure, new ministers, and the number of Deputy CMs. The final decision will rest with the party High Command, said Saleem Ahmed.

Key Decisions at CLP Meeting

Karnataka Legislative Council Chief Whip (INC) Saleem Ahmed said on Friday that state Congress leadership is set to take key organisational and governmental decisions at the upcoming Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting tomorrow, indicating major changes in the cabinet structure and leadership announcements.

Speaking to ANI in the national capital, Saleem Ahmed said the CLP meeting, which will be held tomorrow (May 30), will be attended by senior party leaders and the final call would rest with the party High Command. "First, tomorrow, the CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting will take place. Following that, a decision will be reached. Subsequently, it will be decided who is to be appointed as a minister, which communities are to be allocated how many portfolios, and which regions the representatives will be drawn from. The party will determine the total number of ministers to be appointed, how many existing members will be retained and how many new faces will be inducted. This will be a collective party decision, and the final call will rest with the High Command and the Chief Minister," he said.

He added that the question of Deputy Chief Ministers will also be decided after the meeting. "The decision regarding how many Deputy CMs there will be or whether there will be any at all, and if so, how many, will be taken by the High Command after the CLP meeting concludes tomorrow," he told ANI.

Earlier, he confirmed that senior Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, will attend the meeting, where key organisational announcements, including the Chief Minister-related decision, are expected to be made. "It has been decided that the CLP meeting will take place tomorrow. Venugopal and Surjewala will attend the meeting, and the announcement regarding the CM will be made there; subsequently, the date for the swearing-in ceremony will be finalised," Saleem Ahmed said.

Siddaramaiah Meets Party Leadership

He further said that Siddaramaiah had already met the party leadership and expressed gratitude to senior leaders. "Siddaramaiah arrived here and expressed his gratitude to Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge. He acknowledged the opportunities the Congress party had given him over the past 8 years, serving as Chief Minister and twice as the Leader of the Opposition, and met with the leadership to discuss the path forward," he said.

'Kamaraj Plan' Model for Cabinet Reshuffle

When asked a question regarding the cabinet reshuffle, Saleem Ahmed said the party intends to bring in significant organisational changes by inducting new faces. "Absolutely, new faces will be introduced. As we have stated previously, we believe that 50% of the cabinet positions should be allocated to new faces. Regarding the ministers who are to be replaced, those who are experienced and have served as ministers for three years, they should be assigned to party organisational work. We intend to implement a 'Kamaraj Plan' model... particularly since we must prepare for the 2028 elections, which we are confident of winning," he said.

He added that while recommendations have been made, the final decision rests with the party's high command.

Siddaramaiah Resigns, Govt Formation Talks Intensify

This comes after Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday accepted the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a day after he submitted his resignation letter. On Thursday, Siddaramaiah stepped down from the post following directions from the Congress high command.

Meanwhile, the Congress has intensified preparations for government formation in the state, as Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar met with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital to discuss the cabinet reshuffle. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)