DK Shivakumar Oath LIVE: DKS To Be Sworn-In As Karnataka Chief Minister In Lok Bhavan, All Eyes on Cabinet Formation And Power-Sharing

DKS Oath LIVE: Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar, popularly known as DK Shivakumar, is set to take oath as Chief Minister after being elected as the Congress Legislative Party leader.

An eight-time MLA and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, Shivakumar--often described as the party's "troubleshooter"--rose through the ranks with a strong grassroots base and a reputation for handling political crises. His close ties with senior Congress leadership, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge, strengthened his claim to the top post after a prolonged internal leadership discussion.

Known for his organisational skills, he has played key roles in safeguarding Congress governments in the past, including during the 2002 Maharashtra political crisis and the 2017 Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections. He has also been instrumental in party strategy in Karnataka, including the 2023 Assembly election victory.

Shivakumar has served as KPCC president since 2020 and was Deputy Chief Minister in the previous government. His career has also seen controversies, including multiple investigations by central agencies and a brief incarceration in 2019, though these did not derail his political rise. 

Fervour over the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar is palpable in Kanakpura on Wednesday, the home constituency of Shivakumar. 

Banners and cutouts congratulating him for becoming Chief Minister have been put up around his residence and across the constituency, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony scheduled at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru at 4 pm on Wednesday.

DKS Oath LIVE: Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar, Keralam Higher Education Minister Roji M John on Wednesday said that the occasion marks a joyous milestone as the new leader officially assumes leadership.

DKS Swearing-In LIVE: The oath-taking ceremony is expected to be a low-key affair amid concerns over potential traffic congestion in Bengaluru due to the anticipated arrival of Congress workers and supporters from across the state. The police have also drawn up a massive security plan for the Chief Minister’s oath-taking ceremony.

DKS Oath LIVE: Shivakumar who is a very religious person, has decided on the June 3 date for swearing in after consulting his astrologer Bellur Dwarakanath. 4:10 pm on June 3 has been decided as the "shubh muhurat" (auspicious time) for the swearing in by the astrologer.

Another factor behind the June 3 date for swearing in, according to sources, is the availability of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi who is expected to attend the oath ceremony.

DKS Oath LIVE: Karnataka CM-designate DK Shivakumar says, "It was not a dream. It was a dedication. Dedication with hard work. So it was a tough, troubling time. Though it has been delayed, it was not denied. I feel there's no Shivakumar here. It is a Congress worker, who stood on this democratic set-up with the history of the Congress party..." 

DKS Swearing-In LIVE: Congress MLA TB Jayachandra has said that the party's high command has finalised the schedule for ministers taking oath in the DK Shivakumar cabinet, with the first batch of ministers to take oath with Chief Minister Shivakumar, and the second batch of ministers to be inducted after June 18, after the Rajya Sabha elections are completed.

Congress MP Prabha Mallikarjun says, "We all are aware that DK Shivakumar is going to take oath as Chief Minister along with a few ministers. So we are all waiting for that moment..."

DK Shivakumar Oath LIVE: Shivakumar said the Nehru-Gandhi family gave him various opportunities. 

"I named my theatre on the death day of Indira Gandhi. That is the commitment I had with the Gandhi family, and they believed in me, and they gave me various opportunities. So it was my duty to be very loyal to the family of Rajiv Gandhi until now... Sonia Gandhi sacrificed; she could have become the Prime Minister. Rahul Gandhi could have become the Prime Minister, but they did not," he said. 

"Ultimately, they fought. Rahul Gandhi ji walked on the streets of this country... So it is my duty to do my job with trust," he added.

DKS Swearing-In LIVE: Shivakumar said he is obliged by the faith and confidence people in the country have shown in him.

He said a 'Yuva Yuga' will start in the state. Shivakumar also said that he knows his task may not be easy but he will make sincere efforts. He also talked about Bengaluru's place in India's IT industry and said the world is seeing India through Bengaluru and Karnataka.
 

DKS Oath: State Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar told, "The leadership is changing as the High Command has taken a decision. Tomorrow, CM and some ministers are going to take the oath... In the morning, they will release a list, but I am very happy that those who are getting the ministry and I would like to congratulate them..."

Congress MLA Sharan Prakash Patil told reporters that the oath-taking will be a a "historic day"
 

DK Shivakumar Oath: While the cabinet lineup is nearly finalized, the prospect of appointing Deputy Chief Ministers remains uncertain. 

Party insiders suggest it is unlikely to happen immediately, with a decision likely deferred until after the Rajya Sabha elections or a subsequent expansion. 

However, if a Deputy CM is named now, Home Minister G. Parameshwara is considered the leading candidate. Additionally, talk persists within Congress circles that the state may eventually appoint multiple Deputy CMs to achieve regional and social balance.

DK Shivakumar Oath: Outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar have reached an understanding regarding "Cauvery," the official bungalow traditionally reserved for the state's top leader.

Under this agreement, Siddaramaiah will continue to live in the bungalow and formally retain it until 2028, despite stepping down from the top post.

Instead, Shivakumar plans to continue operating from his private residence for the time being. 

DKS Oath LIVE: According to reports obtained by Republic Kannada, a final list of 13 legislators has been prepared to take the oath alongside Shivakumar at the Lokabhavan Glass House. 

The finalization of this list involved top-tier deliberations. The names include-

• Chief Minister: DK Shivakumar
• Yathindra
• G Parameshwara
• KH Muniyappa
• UT Khader
• KJ George
• Krishna Byre Gowda
• MB Patil
• Priyank Kharge
• Satish Jarkiholi
• Ramalinga Reddy
• Dinesh Gundu Rao
• Byrathi Suresh
• Eshwar Khandre

Karnataka Power-Tussle: Congress MLA Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda described the swearing-in ceremony as the beginning of a "new chapter" for Karnataka and said the party leadership was expected to indicate the names of ministers who would take oath along with Shivakumar.

DKS Oath LIVE: The swearing-in of Congress leader DK Shivakumar D.K. Shivakumar as Chief Minister of Karnataka will be held at Glass House in Lok Bhavan, in Bengaluru today at 4:05 PM with the Congress high command close to finalising the composition of his first council of ministers after days of intense consultations in New Delhi.