DK Shivakumar sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka
Congress leader DK Shivakumar was sworn in as deputy chief minister of Karnataka on Saturday following the party’s resounding success in parliamentary elections.
At the ceremony, held at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, Governor Thawarchand Gehlot took the oath of office and secrecy to Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah took the oath of office as Chief Minister for the second time. Prominent Congress party leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were present at the ceremony.
The Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states such as Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan and Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh also participated in the event.
The party had also sent an invitation to numerous opposition parties and their leaders.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah also attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Other opposition leaders who attended were Sharad Pawar and Kamal Haasan.
Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan, who is also an actor, graced the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Karnataka in Bengaluru. Before the ceremony, Rahul Gandhi, DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah witnessed the raising of hands in a show of solidarity and power.
DK Shivakumar will keep his position as the president of the Karnataka Congress until the parliamentary elections are over.
DK Shivakumar, a prominent figure in the Karnataka Congress, will remain as the president of the party in the state until the completion of parliamentary elections.
Known for his strong grassroots support, Shivakumar started his political career at the age of 18 by joining NSUI, the student division of Congress, and soon rose to become the president of the Bangalore district unit from 1981 to 1983.
Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who was announced to be sworn in as deputy chief minister of Karnataka, said on Thursday there is nothing to be upset about and there is still a “long way to go”.
“If people have given such a big mandate, we should definitely be happy and keep the promises and fulfill them. That is our main motto and agenda. “Why should I be upset? There is still a long way to go,” he said.
He said everything is fine in the party and everyone will work together after Congress decides on the posts after frantic deliberations following the party’s emphatic victory in the recent assembly elections in the state.
“Everything is fine and will be fine. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge said we should all work together and we accepted that,” said Shivakumar.
Earlier on May 18, Shivakumar introduced a resolution to elect Siddaramaiah as the new CLP leader. All members unanimously approved it.
The CLP meeting was held at the party office in Bengaluru after Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar returned from the national capital after days of deliberation.
Earlier, Congress leader Siddaramaiah was sworn in as chief minister of Karnataka for the second time following the party’s landslide victory in parliamentary elections.
The Congress secured 135 seats in the May 10 elections for the 224-member Karnataka assembly that ousted the ruling BJP, which got 66 seats, while the Janata Dal (Secular) secured 19 seats in the results announced on May 13.
(with input from ANI)