The Congress leadership on Tuesday held discussions with Karnataka chief minister-designate DK Shivakumar and senior leader Siddaramaiah to finalise the composition of the new state cabinet ahead of its swearing-in on June 3 in Bengaluru.
Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah attended a meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal and AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala.
Sources said the discussions focused on giving final shape to the cabinet that is scheduled to be sworn in on Wednesday.
Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress president, is due to take oath as chief minister along with some members of the Council of Ministers at 4.05 pm on June 3 at the Lok Bhavan premises. He was elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party on May 30.
Earlier in the day, Shivakumar expressed gratitude to the Gandhi family for their role in his political journey and thanked them for the faith they had placed in him at different stages of his life.
Notably, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah arrived in New Delhi on Monday for consultations with the Congress high command on the composition of the new cabinet.
With the strength of the Karnataka Council of Ministers capped at 34, including the chief minister, and a large number of aspirants seeking ministerial berths, the cabinet formation exercise is seen as one of the first major challenges before Shivakumar.
Several former ministers and legislators have reached the national capital and are seeking meetings with Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah to press their claims for inclusion in the cabinet.
Party sources said the new cabinet will include a mix of experienced leaders and fresh faces, with caste representation, regional balance and internal party dynamics expected to play a key role in the selection process. There is also speculation that the new government could have multiple deputy chief ministers.
Siddaramaiah's son and Congress MLC Yathindra said after meeting Shivakumar on Sunday that the party high command had assured him of a ministerial berth.
The discussions in Delhi were also expected to focus on the appointment of a new Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president after Shivakumar's elevation as chief minister.
Senior MLA and former minister Satish Jarkiholi is considered a frontrunner for the post, though sources said he is also seeking a cabinet berth, adding another layer of complexity to the exercise.
(With inputs from PTI)
