Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 31 : Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said on Sunday that the transfer of power in Karnataka has been smooth, as DK Shivakumar is set to take the oath as the new Chief Minister on June 3 in Bengaluru.
He said the Congress high command will decide the new Council of Ministers, including whether there will be Deputy Chief Ministers and how many ministers will be appointed, keeping in mind social and regional balance.
Speaking to ANI, Hussain said, "The transfer of power in Karnataka has been very smooth... When he (DK Shivakumar) takes the oath, the Council of Ministers will also be sworn in. The high command will now decide how many leaders will be sworn in, and whether there will be Deputy CMs or not. Therefore, DK Shivakumar will be sworn in at Raj Bhavan on the 3rd at 4 pm, along with the Council of Ministers."
"It is clear that PCC President DK Shivakumar has become the Chief Minister of the state. Therefore, a new PCC President will also be appointed. Along with this, several new positions will also be created in the party. Now we have to see who will become a minister and who will be appointed. Keeping in mind the Assembly elections in 2028 and the Parliament elections in 2029, we will also form a Council of Ministers, keeping in mind caste, community, social balance, social justice, and regional balance. The PCC President will be selected accordingly, and several new positions will be decided, keeping all these factors in mind," he said.
"He (Siddaramaiah) will remain an MLA. He said he has always been interested in state politics. He said he never thought about national politics in that way. Now that he is such a senior leader, he will make a decision after consultation and coordination with the party high command. The more active he remains, the more it will help the Congress party and the government. DK Shivakumar also said he will work under his guidance," Hussain further said.
DK Shivakumar, after his three-year stint as the Deputy Chief Minister, is set to assume the office as the Karnataka CM. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for June 3 at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru.
Shivakumar formally submitted a letter to Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot informing him about his unanimous election as CLP leader. This came after the voluntary resignation of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on May 28. The Governor dissolved the previous Council of Ministers immediately, but asked Siddaramaiah to continue until the new government is sworn in.
Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the number of ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers (DCMs) in the new Karnataka cabinet is yet to be finalised ahead of the swearing-in of party leader DK Shivakumar on June 3.