28 MLAs to take oath as mins along with Siddaramaiah & DK Shivakumar in Karnataka
BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: Chief Minister-designate and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister-designate and KPCC president DK Shivakumar will be sworn in along with 28 ministers at Sri Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru at 12.30 pm on Saturday.
After days of hectic parleys with the Congress high command in New Delhi over deciding on who between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar would be the new CM and reaching a decision on Thursday morning, Friday saw the two leaders back in the national capital to work out cabinet formation modalities.
Siddaramaiah — who has presented 13 budgets — is likely to keep the Finance and Personnel & Administrative Reforms portfolios, while Shivakumar vying for Home along with State Intelligence portfolios may settle for Water Resources and Energy, according to sources privy to the meetings.
It is learnt that the two leaders started shortlisting the names of probable ministers as soon as their flight took off from Bengaluru for New Delhi on Friday afternoon. The lists prepared by them were later presented to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge at a closed-door meeting, also attended by AICC general secretary (in-charge of Karnataka) Randeep Singh Surjewala and AICC general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal.
Former ministers KJ George, Ramalinga Reddy and Krishna Byregowda from Bengaluru urban district are confirmed to get cabinet berths. Differences arose over the inclusion of NA Harris and Zameer Ahmed Khan till late night when this paper went to press.
Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who switched from BJP to Congress ahead of polls in which he lost from the Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency, is also said to be considered, while another BJP turncoat Laxman Savadi, too, is likely to make the cut. Savadi won on Congress ticket from Athani. Former ministers MB Patil, Dr G Parameshwara, Priyank Kharge, Eshwar Khandre, UT Khader, Satish Jarkiholi, among others, are likely to be sworn in. Former Union minister KH Muniyappa or his daughter Roopakala Shashidhar may also be included in the cabinet.
Bengaluru: With senior Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar all set to take oath as CM and Deputy CM, respectively, on Saturday, all eyes are on the first cabinet meeting to be held soon after the swearing-in ceremony.
The new government is expected to announce the implementation of Congress party’s five guarantees. Deputy CM-designate Shivakumar on Friday said the guarantees promised by the Congress party will be implemented. P4
