Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar Takes Oath, G Parameshwara Is His Deputy

DK Shivakumar, one of Congress's best-known faces from south India, took oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka today, bringing to an end a long tussle that had made headlines for the better part of two years. His cabinet of 13 ministers - including his predecessor Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra Siddaramaiah -- also took oath on the occasion. G Parameshwara, who served as the state's home minister, took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister. 

LIVE Updates: DK Shivakumar Oath Ceremony 

The cabinet also included UT Khader, MB Patil, KJ George, KH Muniyappa, Satish Jarkiholi, Ramalinga Reddy, Krishna Byregowda, Priyank Kharge, Ishwar Khandre, Byrathi Suresh and Sharan Prakash Patil. 

The Cabinet is expected to be expanded after Rajya Sabha elections. 
During the oath ceremony, the new Chief Minister seen conspicuously carrying a copy of the Constitution, continuing a trend seen after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

DK Shivakumar welcomed Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge at the airport./
Photo Credit: ANI

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several senior Congress MPs had carried copies of the Constitution while taking oath as Members of Parliament -- a stark reminder of their claim that the NDA government's moves were often in violation of the Constitution.

Choosing G Parameshwara for the Deputy post is seen as a balancing act of the Congress, which had to pull out Siddaramaiah from the top post to make way for Shivakumar. 

Siddaramaiah had wielded massive influence among the Ahinda voters -- comprising backward classes, Dalits and religious minorities. Parameshwara is an influential leader among the Dalits. He is also considered a close confidante of Siddaramaiah. 

Read: Long Wait Over, Finally DK Shivakumar's Moment Under The Sun

Those who attended the event included Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress Chief Ministers VD Satheeshan (Kerala), Revanth Reddy (Telengana) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh). 

Earlier today, Shivakumar had formally met Siddaramaiah, veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and invited them to the oath ceremony at the Lok Bhavan.

His oath is seen to be a culmination of the long campaign for the top post carried out by his supporters in face of Siddaramaiah's tacit refusal to step down. 

The matter had its origin in an apparent promise of rotating Chief Ministership by the Congress high command when the party formed government in the state in 2023.

The nameplate outside Siddaramaiah's room changed.

Finally last week, after forming government in Kerala and becoming part of the government in Tamil Nadu, the Congress addressed the festering situation in Karnataka. The decision was taken partly at the urging of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi amid growing anti-incumbency over the governance of Siddaramaiah. 

At a 35-minute tete-e-tete with Siddaramaiah, Rahul Gandhi made it clear that he should now move beyond the state and contribute to national politics as a member of the Rajya Sabha. 

While Siddaramaiah had agreed to step down, he declined the Rajya Sabha post, saying he would prefer to remain involved in the state politics. The 80-year-old resigned his post last week.

Shivakumar has expressed gratitude to the Gandhis for their role in his political journey.

"The Gandhi family has played a defining role in my political journey, not merely through leadership, but through the faith they placed in me at different stages of my life," he posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

"I often reflect on Rajiv Gandhi, who saw potential in a young worker even before I could see it in myself. His encouragement gave me the confidence to dream bigger and dedicate myself to public service," he said. 

"The greatest leaders are those who identify possibilities in others and inspire them to rise beyond their own expectations. Rajiv Gandhi did exactly that for me," he added.