Karnataka: Opposition Show Of Strength On Cards As Siddaramaiah To Take Oath As CM Today

Karnataka CM Swearing-In Ceremony: This will be Siddaramaiah's second stint in the top post but he will have his task cut out in ensuring all social groups are given representation in the Cabinet.

Karnataka CM-designate Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM-designate DK Shivakumar with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Source : PTI

Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar will take oath as Karnataka Chief Minister and Deputy CM respectively on Saturday, with the platform set to be a marker of Opposition unity against BJP as a host of leaders will descend on the southern state. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at 12.30 pm at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

This will be Siddaramaiah's second stint in the top post after he led a successful five-year term as Chief Minister of the Congress government between 2013-18.

READ | Karnataka Cabinet: Congress Needs To Achieve Fine Balance Between Social, Key Support Groups Ahead Of 2024

On Friday, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar thrashed out the composition of the Cabinet with the Congress leadership in Delhi and are learnt to have shortlisted some names of ministers and their portfolios. The sanctioned strength of the Karnataka Cabinet is 34.

Few leaders like G Parameshwara and groups like Dalit and Lingayats have openly expressed their displeasure at being denied the Deputy CM chair.

Police personnel oversee preparations for the swearing-in ceremony of new CM at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru (PTI)

Karnataka CM Swearing-In Ceremony: Latest Updates

• While there has been no official confirmation, eleven Cabinet ministers are expected to take oath apart from Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
• The new Cabinet will have representation from all regions of the state and sections, including SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, women, youth and Lingayats and Vokkaligas.
• Some of the leaders who may be included in Cabinet are Laxman Savadi, KH Patil, MB Patil (Lingayat), Priyank Kharge Parameshwara, Mahadevappa, Muniyappa (SC), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Valmiki), RV Deshpande (Brahmin), UT Khader and Tanveer Sait (Muslim). 
• Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and a host of other Opposition leaders will attend the ceremony.
• Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has also invited leaders of JMM, RJD, Shiv Sena, SP, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, MDMK, RSP, CPI(ML), VCK, RLD, Kerala Congress and IUML for the ceremony.
• However, TMC supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will give the event a miss. She has designated MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar to attend on her behalf.
• The Congress came in for criticism from the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala for not inviting state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to the swearing-in ceremony, saying the move shows the party's immature politics and weakness, PTI reported.
• While Shivakumar, known as Congress's troubleshooter and muscle man, has influence among the politically crucial Vokkaliga community, Siddaramaiah has the support of the AHINDA platform -- a social combination of minorities, Other Backward Classes, and Dalits.
• The Congress had registered a thumping victory in May 10 polls, where the party won 135 out of 224 seats whereas the ruling BJP was reduced to 66 seats.