Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Wednesday took oath as the chief minister of Karnataka. He was administered the oath of office by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
G Parameshwara, who holds the home portfolio in the state government, was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.
Shivakumar was elected as the leader of the Congress’ legislature party on Saturday, two days after Siddaramaiah resigned as the chief minister.
Shivakumar had served as deputy chief minister in the Siddaramaiah government since May 2023. He represented the Sathanur constituency between 1989 and 2008, and has been the MLA from the Kanakapura constituency since 2008.
Siddaramaiah was the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka with a tenure of more than eight years across two terms. The 78-year-old served as the chief minister between 2013 and 2018. His most recent term had begun in May 2023.
Speculation about a leadership change in Karnataka had resurfaced after the Congress government completed half of its five-year term in November.
After the Congress defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Assembly elections in May 2023, reports claimed there had been a competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post.
At the time, some reports claimed that a compromise had been reached based on a “rotational chief minister formula”, under which Shivakumar would take over the post after two and a half years.
The Congress never confirmed that there had been such an agreement. In July, Siddaramaiah said that he would remain in office for the full five-year term.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were in Delhi on May 26 for meetings with the Congress’ central leadership.
Two days later, Siddaramaiah resigned as the chief minister saying that he was following the Congress leadership’s decision asking him to step down. “I am making way for a new chief minister,” he said.
Siddaramaiah also said that the Congress leadership had offered him a Rajya Sabha seat but he “politely told them no, saying I want to remain in state politics”.
On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah was inducted into the Congress Working Committee, the executive body of the party.
The next Assembly elections in Karnataka are expected to be held in May 2028.
Written by Nachiket Deuskar. Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.
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