Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Congress leaders, including outgoing CM Siddaramaiah and CM-designate DK Shivakumar, are in Delhi for final consultations with the party high command to decide on the new Karnataka cabinet and Deputy CM post.
Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal on Tuesday arrived at the residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital, as the party leadership held consultations over the proposed Cabinet line-up and organisational matters in Karnataka.
Senior Congress leaders from Karnataka have converged in Delhi as the party high command, along with outgoing CM Siddaramaiah and CM designate DK Shivakumar, meet to give final shape to the new cabinet in the state. A decision on ministerial berths and the Deputy CM will be taken during the course of the meetings. The swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar is scheduled to take place at Lok Bhavan on June 3. The meeting is part of a series of discussions within the Congress high command regarding power-sharing arrangements, Cabinet expansion and related political decisions in the state.
15 ministers to be inducted in first phase
Speaking to ANI in the national capital, Karnataka Congress MLA AR Krishnamurthy said the process is moving smoothly and indicated that senior leaders, including the party leadership, will deliberate on the matter in the presence of top functionaries. "Everything is going on very smoothly. Both the outgoing CM and the new CM will put their views before the high command when Rahul Gandhi attends the meeting, after the first round of talks. About 15 members will be inducted into the Cabinet first, and the rest will be inducted after the Council and Rajya Sabha elections. The meeting with the party high command will happen today..." he said. Further details on the final Cabinet structure are awaited following the high command meeting.
'Will be finalised today': KJ George
Furthermore, Karnataka Congress leader KJ George asserted that the ministrial post allocation would be finalised today. When asked if Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are meeting the high command today, George said, "I think they are meeting today. It will be finalised today, I think. Tomorrow is the swearing-in ceremony."
When asked about reports of him becoming the new KPCC chief, he added that he will obey whatever decision the high command makes. "I am a worker of Congress party. I will obey whatever decision the high command makes," he told reporters.
Balancing political equations
Several senior party leaders, including Bhupesh Baghel, Incharge of Punjab Congress and Punjab Congress leader Vijay Inder Singla, arrived at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for the crucial meeting.
The meeting comes as a massive political huddle is underway in the national capital, as top Congress leaders and ministerial hopefuls from Karnataka have flocked to Delhi to lobby for coveted cabinet berths. With the Congress high command expected to finalise the ministerial list by today, the party is balancing a complex jigsaw puzzle of regional, caste, and social equations, alongside critical structural decisions regarding Deputy Chief Ministers and organisational leadership. (ANI)
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