Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah in Delhi for High-Stakes Cabinet Talks Ahead of June 3 Swearing-In

Karnataka Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar and outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrived in New Delhi on Monday for consultations with the Congress high command over the composition of the new state cabinet , setting in motion what is expected to be one of the most consequential political exercises in the state's recent history.

The swearing-in ceremony is confirmed for June 3 at 4:05 PM at the Lok Bhavan premises in Bengaluru, where Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot will administer the oath of office.

Shivakumar , who served as Deputy Chief Minister for three years under Siddaramaiah, was formally elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party at a meeting in Vidhana Soudha on Saturday following Siddaramaiah's resignation on May 28. The Governor subsequently invited Shivakumar to form the new government after he staked his claim in writing.

On arriving in Delhi, where he checked into Karnataka Bhawan, Shivakumar told reporters simply, " We have to decide ", a clear reference to the pending cabinet list.

The scale of the challenge before him is formidable. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has maintained that the number of ministers and deputy chief ministers is yet to be finalised, with a second phase of cabinet inductions planned at a later stage. According to reports, only around eight to ten ministers are likely to take oath alongside Shivakumar in the first phase, with the rest of the cabinet to be expanded after further consultations.

With Karnataka's council of ministers capped at 34, including the Chief Minister , and a large number of aspirants vying for limited berths, Shivakumar faces the risk of widespread disgruntlement among those who fail to make the cut. Party sources indicate the new cabinet will blend experienced faces with fresh entrants, carefully accounting for caste arithmetic, regional balance and loyalty to the Siddaramaiah camp.

Speculation remains rife over the appointment of multiple Deputy Chief Ministers , and Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra , an MLC, is widely expected to be inducted, with the Social Welfare portfolio reportedly being considered for him. Yathindra himself has expressed confidence after receiving assurances from the high command.

Senior MLA and former minister Satish Jarkiholi is the frontrunner to succeed Shivakumar as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President, though he is reportedly seeking a cabinet berth simultaneously, complicating the arithmetic further.

The Delhi parleys will also address candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections scheduled for June 18, where Congress, with its current Assembly strength, is projected to win three of the four Rajya Sabha seats and five of the seven MLC seats on offer. Both leaders have kept their return journeys open-ended, signalling that the negotiations are far from straightforward.