The stage is set for eight-time legislator and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar to be sworn-in as the 34th Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) evening at Lok Bhavan, which completes the leadership transition from outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that started last week.
Also read | After smooth transition, new Karnataka CM has a delicate task ahead
Hours before the swearing in ceremony, the Congress released a list of 13 cabinet ministers who will be sworn in along with the CM. While the Congress has decided to appoint G. Parameshwara as the the Deputy Chief Minister, the other names include Yathindra Siddaramaiah, U.T. Khader, M.B. Patil, K.J. George, K.H. 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.
Also read | Tussle for the top spot in Karnataka: A timeline
Among the Congress leaders attending the event include the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress Chief Ministers V.D. Satheeshan (Kerala), Revanth Reddy (Telengana) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh). A host of religious leaders, students, pourakarmikas, farmers’ leaders, Dalit leaders and Kannada activists have also been invited to the event.
Siddaramaiah resigned as CM last week, as directed by the Congress high command, paving the way for Shivakumar to take the coveted position.
Ahead of D.K. Shivakumar’s swearing-in as Chief Minister of Karnataka, Kanakapura was seen drowning in flexes and banners. With orders overflowing, flex shop owners seemed to be making a bounty.
Floating helium balloons with Mr. Shivakumar’s face dotted the skyscape of Kanakapura as far as the eye could see.
For the oath-taking ceremony, around 200 people from the Doddalahalli, Kodihalli and other villages in Kanakapura, his home turf and constituency, are heading to Bengaluru in three buses. Several others are also going to the city in their own vehicles, so close to 400 people are on their way, villagers tell The Hindu.
“We have been asked not to go to Bengaluru but such is our respect and admiration for our leader. He is our bande (rock). We are elated that he has been elevated to the post of CM. We want to celebrate this moment with him,” said a supporter.
“We will travel from here to Thalaghattapura in the buses we have arranged. From there, we will take a metro to Vidhana Soudha. We have taken metro passes for all the villagers who are travelling with us. We will be happy just to get a glimpse of him from afar and watch him take oath,” the supporter said.
- Chetan Gowda reports
Hours before the swearing in ceremony of D.K.Shivakumar as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, the Congress released a list of 13 cabinet ministers who will be sworn in on June 3, 2026. Setting rest to speculation, the Congress has decided to appoint G. Parameshwara as the the Deputy Chief Minister.
While Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah makes his debut in the Cabinet, others to be sworn in include U.T. Khader, M.B. Patil, K.J. George, K.H. Muniyappa, Satish Jarkiholi, Ramalinga Reddy, Krishna Byregowda ), Priyank Kharge, Ishwar Khandre, Byrathi Suresh and Sharan Prakash Patil.
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After days of consultations among the leaders, the Congress has considered, seniority, caste and regional equations before arriving at the decision.
Read Sharath Srivatsa’s report.
The much-awaited list of names of leaders to be inducted into the Cabinet, along with D.K. Shivakumar, who will be sworn in on Wednesday evening, is likely to be announced by the Congress central leadership only on Wednesday morning.
Multiple sources indicated that there could be between 10 and 15 Ministers who will be sworn in along with the Chief Minister, though agreement had not been arrived at till late on Tuesday.
Read more on how outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar have been engaged in hectic parleys with the top Congress leadership in Delhi, bargaining hard on Cabinet formation, creation of the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, and setting up coordination committee, among others.
U.T. Khader, who is set to be inducted as a minister in the Congress government led by D.K. Shivakumar, has resigned as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Khader, the MLA representing the Mangaluru constituency, submitted his resignation to Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani.
The D.K. Shivakumar-led Congress Government will have senior Dalit leader G. Parameshwar as Deputy Chief Minister, according to a communique shared by the media team of outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
This will be the second stint of Mr. Parameshwar as Deputy Chief Minister. Earlier, he had the held post during the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government in 2018-2019.
Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the new government, Mr. Parameshwara met Mr. Shivakumar at the latter’s residence in Bengaluru.
Veteran Congress leader and MLC B.K. Hariprasad, 72, is likely to be appointed the next president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
However, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has not yet made an official announcement.
If appointed, Mr. Hariprasad will succeed D.K. Shivakumar, who is set to assume office as Karnataka’s new Chief Minister on at Lok Bhavan.
Though elevation of Congress leader D.K. Shivakumkar as Chief Minister might on the surface essentially seem like honouring a reported power-sharing agreement as per which he was to take over the mantle after reaching the half-term mark, in reality the Congress high command appears to have made the decision with an eye on 2028 assembly and 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
Read B.S. Satish Kumar’s report on how Congress is using D.K. Shivakumar’s elevation as a means to woo a chunk of Vokkaliga voters, besides the traditional AHINDA voters.
Elevating 64-year-old Mr. Shivakumar would put him in a better position to lead party in the 2028 polls.
Despite an intense power tussle within the Congress in Karnataka over the last three years, the party high command appears to have managed a smooth transition of power to ensure political stability, with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar set to succeed outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
A firm believer in Hindu cultural identity and religious practices, 64-year-old D.K. Shivakumar is known for frequently saying, “Efforts may fail, but prayers do not.” The phrase often served as his cryptic response to persistent speculation over the chief ministerial power tussle in recent months.
Read Nagesh Prabhu’s profile of the Congress party’s crisis manager, known for his organisational skills and grassroots networks.
D.K. Shivakumar, called ‘DKShi’, Congress's crisis manager, rises to become Karnataka's Chief Minister, known for resilience and grassroots connections.
Known as one of Karnataka’s most resourceful Congress leaders as well as one of its wealthiest politicians, D.K. Shivakumar - popularly known as ‘DK’ or ‘DKShi’ - has been the party’s principal strategist and trouble-shooter in South India.
Here is a look at his political journey as seen through a selection of images from The Hindu’s archives.
Known as one of Karnataka’s most resourceful Congress leaders as well as one of its wealthiest politicians, here's a look at D.K. Shivakumar's poltica
Elaborate security and traffic management arrangements have been put in place for the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday (June 3), with the Bengaluru City Police working in close coordination with the traffic police to ensure smooth conduct of the event and maintain law and order.
City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said that extensive security measures have been implemented in accordance with the protocol issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR).
Elaborate security measures and limited entry in place to ensure a smooth swearing-in ceremony for Karnataka's CM at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru.
The Bengaluru Traffic Police have announced extensive traffic restrictions and diversions across the Central Business District (CBD) on June 3 in view of the swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Minister of Karnataka, which is scheduled to be held at 4 p.m. at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan.
According to the traffic police, vehicle movement will be prohibited on several key roads between 12 noon and 8 p.m., including stretches of Cubbon Road, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Road, Race Course Road, Queens Road, and roads leading towards Lok Bhavan. Heavy congestion is anticipated in and around the CBD area due to the event, and public gatherings.
The stage is set for eight-time legislator and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar to be sworn in as the 34th Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) evening at Lok Bhavan, which completes the leadership transition from outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that started last week.
Published - June 03, 2026 09:16 am IST
Live news / Karnataka / Indian National Congress
Source: The Hindu - India News
