The Congress has appointed outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as a member of the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body.
Top Congress leaders engaged in extensive discussions with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar on Tuesday to finalize the new cabinet structure for the state.
Sources indicate that Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Priyank Kharge are anticipated to be included in the new cabinet.
The party is considering the possibility of having two deputy chief ministers, but some members believe that no deputy chief minister should be sworn in on Wednesday due to the numerous contenders, suggesting that a balancing act among various castes may not be viable with only two such positions.
G Parameshwara and Priyank Kharge are leading candidates for the deputy chief minister role, both representing the Dalit community.
Sources have suggested that Shivakumar is currently reluctant to appoint a deputy chief minister, voicing concerns about another power center in the state.
After the discussions, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar proceeded to Bengaluru.
Shivakumar is set to take the oath at 4:05 PM on Wednesday, starting with a small cabinet and planning for future expansions, as per the sources.
Former party chief Rahul Gandhi is expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, alongside Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress chief ministers from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will also be present, along with chief ministers from Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand. Several senior opposition leaders are likely to attend, as well.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has already arrived in Bengaluru, while other Congress leaders are expected on Wednesday.
Some of the frontrunners for a cabinet position include Krishna Byregowda and Dinesh Gundu Rao, in addition to U T Khader, a Muslim face and current Speaker of the state assembly. It is also anticipated that a woman minister will be included in the cabinet.
Throughout the day, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to discuss the formation of the new cabinet. Congress general secretary (organization) K C Venugopal and AICC general secretary-in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala were also in attendance.
Shivakumar, serving as the Karnataka Congress president, was officially designated as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka on May 30.
Earlier, Shivakumar expressed his gratitude to the Gandhi family for their instrumental role in his political career and acknowledged their trust in him at various phases of his life.
Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah arrived in the national capital on Monday for discussions with the Congress high command regarding the new state cabinet’s composition.
With a limit of 34 members for Karnataka’s council of ministers—including the chief minister—and a growing number of aspirants for limited spots, Shivakumar faces one of his early and significant challenges as chief minister-designate.
Aspirants have flocked to the national capital, with former ministers and legislators seeking meetings with both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah to advocate for their candidacies.
Party sources suggest that the new cabinet will likely combine familiar faces and new entrants, carefully considering caste distribution, regional representation, and loyalty dynamics—particularly concerning the Siddaramaiah faction.
It is understood that the camps of Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and Kharge are all aiming to secure opportunities for their associates in the upcoming cabinet.
After meeting with Shivakumar on Sunday, one contender expressed confidence about securing a cabinet position, indicating that the party high command had already promised him a ministerial role.
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Reports suggest that senior Congress leaders continue to urge Siddaramaiah to accept a Rajya Sabha seat, despite his desire to remain active in state politics rather than transition to a national role.
Additionally, the party leadership is considering the creation of a joint coordination committee led by Siddaramaiah to enhance coordination between the party and the government in Karnataka.
The discussions in Delhi are also expected to address who will succeed Shivakumar as president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
Senior MLA and former minister Satish Jarkiholi is reportedly the leading candidate, although he is seeking both a cabinet role and the organizational position, which complicates matters further.
