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Informist, Saturday, May 30, 2026

--Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka elects DK Shivakumar as its leader 

--DK Shivakumar set to be next chief minister of Karnataka 

NEW DELHI – Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D.K. Shivakumar will be the next chief minister of the state after the Congress Legislature Party chose him as its leader Saturday. Shivakumar is expected to take the oath of office Wednesday.

Shivakumar's name was proposed by outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and seconded by senior party leader G. Parameshwara, home minister in Siddaramaiah's Cabinet, at the legislature party meeting at the Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru. All India Congress Committee General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal and AICC Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala were also present at the meeting.

Shivakumar, who served as deputy chief minister in Siddaramaiah's Cabinet, played a pivotal role in the Congress party's victory in the 2023 assembly election in the state as the state unit chief. He was a strong contender for the top job even then, but the party chose to go with the veteran Siddaramaiah, reportedly under an arrangement to elevate Shivakumar midway through the five-year term of the assembly.

Siddaramaiah resigned as chief minister Thursday, two days after a marathon meeting in New Delhi with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Speculation about a change of leadership in Karnataka had been rife since November, with Shivakumar's supporters pressing for his elevation as purportedly promised.

Gandhi is likely to attend Shivakumar's swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru, though party sources said it would be a low-key affair. The central leadership is happy at the smooth transition and praised the outgoing chief minister for prioritising organisation over self. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congress brass had failed to persuade Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to make way for his deputy, Sachin Pilot, which had resulted in a rebellion in the party. Though the high command succeeded eventually in quelling the rebellion, the party lost the following assembly election in 2023.

In the new Shivakumar Cabinet, a few key Siddaramaiah loyalists are likely to be accommodated. His son S. Yathindra is expected to get a key portfolio.  End

Reported by Asim Khan

Edited by Rajeev Pai

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