Dalai Lama, Sikyong congratulate Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar on victory

Central Tibetan Administration's Chief Representative Jigmey Tsultrim met Karnataka CM D K Shivakumar, presenting letters from the Dalai Lama and Sikyong Penpa Tsering to congratulate him on assuming office following the Congress party's victory.

Tibetan Administration Congratulates New CM

Chief Representative of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Jigmey Tsultrim, on Sunday, met with Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar at his residence, as per a statement by the Karnataka CMO. During the meeting, Tsultrim presented letters from the Dalai Lama and Sikyong Penpa Tsering conveying their congratulations and best wishes to Shivakumar on assuming office as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, the CMO said.

DK Shivakumar's Ascension to Chief Minister

Earlier on June 3, Congress leader Shivakumar took oath as the 34th Chief Minister of Karnataka at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan, marking a significant leadership transition in the state. Senior Congress leader G Parameshwara was also sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister. Shivakumar took the oath of office while carrying a copy of the Constitution of India, underscoring the significance of the occasion.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by top Congress leaders, religious heads and dignitaries from across the country. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal were among the senior leaders present at the event, reflecting the party's united support for the new leadership in Karnataka.

Shivakumar, one of the Congress's most prominent leaders in Karnataka, has represented the Kanakapura Assembly constituency for eight consecutive terms and has served as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president since 2020. He played a key role in leading the party to victory in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections and has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation in the state.

Tibetan Leadership Transition

Meanwhile, on May 27, Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong of the 16th Kashag (Cabinet) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), was sworn in as the Sikyong of the 17th Kashag at the Tsuglagkhang courtyard in the presence of the Dalai Lama following his reelection, a statement by the Central Tibetan Administration said.

As per a statement by the CTA, after securing 61.025 per cent of the total votes in the preliminary round of the recently concluded Tibetan general election, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, under a provision of the Election Rules and Regulations that did not require him to contest the final round, was elected as the 6th directly elected Sikyong (formerly known as Kalon Tripa). His new Kashag, the 17th since the establishment of the Central Tibetan Administration (formerly the Tibetan Government in Exile) following the occupation of Tibet by the People's Liberation Army, will continue the Kashag system, an institutional framework sustained for more than 275 years, which is one of the world's enduring models of continuous governance.

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