'Nataka' Ends In Karnataka: Siddaramaiah Chosen Legislative Party Leader, Set For 2nd Term As CM

Karnataka CM Swearing-In: The swearing-in ceremony will be held on May 20 in Bengaluru and leaders of all Opposition parties have be invited.

CM-designate Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar

Source : PTI

Siddaramaiah was unanimously elected as Congress Legislature Party leader on Thursday, hours after the Congress high command chose him as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. DK Shivakumar will be Siddaramaiah's deputy. The development came after five days of hectic lobbying by the two leaders for the top post in Delhi.

"DK Shivakumar moved a single line resolution and proposed the name of Siddaramaiah as the CLP leader, which all others endorsed unanimously," said Congress leader Eshwar Khandre.

Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah then accompanied a Congress delegation to meet Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and staked claim to form the government.

Announcing the decision taken by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, "We have decided on Siddaramiah as the chief minister of Karnataka. DK Shivakumar will be the only deputy chief minister". Shivakumar will also continue as the party's Karnataka state president till 2024 parliamentary elections are over.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held on May 20 at 12.30 pm in Bengaluru and it will turn into a marker of Opposition unity against BJP as Congress has invited a host of regional party leaders across several states.

A supporter of Siddaramaiah performs 'abhishek' of his poster during celebrations outside his residence (Source: PTI)

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Swearing-In Ceremony: Key Points

• 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.
• After being named the CM-designate, Siddaramaiah said, "Our hands will remain united to protect the interests of Kannada people...and we will work as a family."
• Eleven Cabinet ministers are expected to take oath apart from Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
• The 11 frontrunners expected to get a ministerial berth in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet are former deputy CM and Dalit leader G Parameshwara, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank, MB Patil, KJ George, Roopa Shashidhar, BR Reddy, Tanveer Sait, BJP turncoat Lakshman Savadi and Krishna Byre Gowda.
• Leaders of several like-minded Opposition parties are likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony, inlcuding Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Hemant Soren and MK Stalin.
• Shivakumar, when asked why he relented after an intense fight for the CM post, said he did it "in the larger interest of the party".
• A report in IANS said it was UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi who ultimately convinced the Kanakapura MLA to accept the role of the Deputy Chief Minister.
• Meanwhile, senior Congress leader G Parameshwara said if a Deputy Chief Minister post is not given to a Dalit, there will be adverse reaction and spell trouble for the party.
• 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.