Kerala: Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday, marking the beginning of a new government led by the Congress in the state. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shivakumar at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan.
The 64-year-old Vokkaliga leader took the oath in the name of revered seer Gangadhar Ajja while holding a copy of the Constitution. His elevation to the state’s top post comes days after he was elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party on May 30, following the resignation of Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister on May 28.
Several senior Congress leaders attended the swearing-in ceremony, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. Chief ministers from Congress-ruled states, party functionaries, religious leaders and other dignitaries were also present.
Senior Congress leader G. Parameshwara was among the ministers sworn into the new cabinet and is set to assume the role of Deputy Chief Minister. A prominent Dalit face in Karnataka politics, Parameshwara took the oath in the name of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. He previously served as Home Minister in the Siddaramaiah government and was Deputy Chief Minister in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government led by H.D. Kumaraswamy between 2018 and 2019.
Other Congress leaders inducted into the cabinet included K.H. Muniyappa, K.J. George, M.B. Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge and U.T. Khader.
Shivakumar, who previously served as Deputy Chief Minister, now takes charge of Karnataka at a crucial political juncture as the Congress seeks to consolidate its position in the southern state ahead of future electoral battles.
