After months of speculation and a power tussle within the Karnataka Congress, senior leader DK Shivakumar has sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday, replacing Siddaramaiah who resigned last week. Shivakumar’s accession fills a long vacated top post at the Congress and signals a major political shift for the party.
So, Why Congress picked DK Shivakumar?
Reports say that the primary reason for Shivakumar’s appointment was a power-sharing deal that happened when the Congress was granted power after winning a resounding mandate in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. Shivakumar became Deputy Chief Minister as well as president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) while Siddaramaiah became the new Chief Minister.
It is understood that Shivakumar was to ascend after more than two and a half years. Siddaramaiah retired after following orders from the Congress high command and all have musical clocked.
DKS got a Reward for Loyalty and Organisational Strength
Shivakumar is known to be one of the most trusted leaders of the Congress and was known as the party’s “troubleshooter” for working through political crises and shielding legislators from political violence.
He has been instrumental in the revival of the party organisation in Karnataka as the KPCC president and given his experience and good relations with the party leadership he was rightly given the job of taking the reins in the state on the eve of the 2023 Assembly polls and brought in a supreme mandate.
Importance of Vokkaliga Factor
The 64-yr-old is one of the most powerful leaders of the Vokkaliga community especially in the Old Mysuru area and Congress leaders expect that his appointment will help the party to consolidate hampered Vokkaliga votes which in turn will reinforce the party’s standing against a formidable opponent such as the JD(S)
Who Took Oath Alongside Shivakumar?
Several senior Congress leaders were sworn in as ministers alongside the new Chief Minister. These include G Parameshwara, KH Muniyappa, KJ George, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi, Krishna Byregowda, Priyank Kharge, Eshwar Khandre, Byrathi Suresh, Sharan Prakash Patil, UT Khader and Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, chief ministers from Congress-ruled states, and several senior INDIA bloc leaders, highlighting the significance of the leadership transition in Karnataka.
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