GUWAHATI: Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Wednesday, June 3, took oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, marking the end of a prolonged power struggle within the party that had dominated state politics for nearly two years.
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Alongside Shivakumar, a 13-member cabinet was also sworn in during the ceremony. Among those inducted was Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Veteran Congress leader G Parameshwara took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Other ministers who joined the cabinet include UT Khader, MB Patil, KJ George, KH Muniyappa, Satish Jarkiholi, Ramalinga Reddy, Krishna Byregowda, Priyank Kharge, Ishwar Khandre, Byrathi Suresh and Sharan Prakash Patil.
The swearing-in ceremony witnessed the presence of several senior Congress leaders from across the country, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Congress Chief Ministers from various states. Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheeshan, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu were among those in attendance.
Ahead of the ceremony, Shivakumar met senior political leaders including former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda to personally invite them to the event held at Lok Bhavan.
Shivakumar’s elevation to the top post is being viewed as the culmination of a long-standing leadership battle within the Karnataka Congress. His supporters had consistently pushed for him to become Chief Minister, even as Siddaramaiah was reportedly reluctant to step aside.
The leadership tussle traces back to 2023, when the Congress returned to power in Karnataka amid speculation that the party high command had informally agreed to a rotational Chief Minister arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.