The Congress on Thursday announced Siddaramaiah as the newly appointed chief minister of Karnataka, with DK Shivakumar as his deputy. This decision concludes a week of uncertainty following the party’s significant victory in the 2023 Assembly election. Shivakumar, who held his claim to the chief ministership until late last night, ultimately agreed after a conversation with Sonia Gandhi. He will continue to serve as the Congress’ Karnataka unit leader until the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
When asked about the potential power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar as a means to resolve the stand-off, the Congress responded by stating, “Power sharing implies sharing power with the people of Karnataka… that is our primary focus.”
According to several media reports this week, a potential option of splitting the terms, with each person serving for 2.5 years, was considered. However, this option was abandoned due to the reported unwillingness of both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to assume the second position in the line-up.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal informed reporters that the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, along with an undisclosed number of ministers, will take place on Saturday.
Shivakumar then tweeted: “Karnataka’s secure future and our people’s welfare is our top priority… and we (the Congress) are united in guaranteeing that.”
Siddaramaiah stated that he had no additional comments to make beyond the party’s official statement. In contrast, Shivakumar, a few days prior, mentioned his dedication to the party and expressed his commitment to not engage in any betrayal, a remark perceived as ruling out the possibility of a rebellion.
