Siddaramaiah's Son Among Cabinet Aspirants As Karnataka Sees Change Of Guard

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah's son is among those hoping to find a place in DK Shivakumar's cabinet after a change of guard in Karnataka. The list of hopefuls is rather long as the Congress navigates complex equations for the formation of the new government.

Yathindra Siddaramaiah, a Member of the Legislative Council, said the party high command has assured him of a ministerial berth. "I am an aspirant. The party high command has promised me a ministerial berth in the Karnataka cabinet. I am hopeful. I don't know about a KPCC post. I don't know what high command has decided about a KPCC post yet," he said.

Another Congress MLA, Basavaraj Shivannavar, said he too aspires for a ministerial position and has been seeking one for the past three years.

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"My high command is Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah blessed me, and DK Shivakumar brought me into the party. We have demanded that our community from the North Karnataka region be given a ministerial position. We do not expect it in the first phase, but we are hopeful of getting a ministerial berth in the second phase," he said.

DK Shivakumar will be sworn in as chief minister on Wednesday after the Congress agreed to a power shift in Karnataka last week, bringing an end to a long-drawn leadership tussle.

On becoming the chief minister, Shivakumar called himself a disciplined Congress worker who is going to hold the top post.

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"It's not me but a disciplined worker of the congress party that is becoming the chief minister. From the 80s, I have been working for the Congress, even as a student leader during my college days. People are happy that a Congress worker is becoming chief minister," he said.

The Congress is yet to declare which other leaders would take oath as ministers alongside Shivakumar.

Sources suggest that the Congress may opt for a two-to-three deputy chief minister formula. The party leadership, it has been learnt, is examining a power-sharing arrangement that could see a Dalit leader and a minority community leader are being considered for the deputy chief minister posts.