The Wait Is Finally Over! DK Shivakumar to Take Oath as Karnataka CM on June 3
Karnataka is set to get a new Chief Minister on June 3 as senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar was formally elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Saturday, conclusively ending months of speculation over a leadership change in the state. The transition follows the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on May 28, after consultations with the Congress high command in Delhi, a move seen as part of a leadership arrangement worked out at the party's highest levels. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot , who was away in Indore on a personal visit when Siddaramaiah submitted his letter to the Governor's Special Secretary R. Prabhushankar at Lok Bhavan, formally accepted the resignation on May 29 and dissolved the Council of Ministers. Siddaramaiah was asked to continue as caretaker Chief Minister until alternative arrangements were made.
The CLP meeting, held at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Saturday afternoon and overseen by AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala , saw outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself propose Shivakumar's name as the new CLP leader. In a moment that underscored unity within the party, Shivakumar touched Siddaramaiah's feet to seek his blessings before the two shared a warm embrace. Ahead of the CLP meeting, visuals showed Shivakumar touching the steps of the Vidhan Soudha before entering the building, a gesture widely seen as a mark of respect before taking over the state's top post.
Shivakumar will be sworn in as Karnataka's 25th Chief Minister, with the ceremony to be held at the Glass House of Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. The date and time carry astrological significance, sources said Shivakumar, known for his religious beliefs, consulted astrologer Bellur Dwarakanath before finalising the date, and 4:10 pm on June 3 was identified as an auspicious shubh muhurat for assuming office. The availability of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi , who is expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, is also reported to have been a key factor in fixing the date.
Around eight to ten ministers are expected to take oath alongside Shivakumar in the first phase, with the remaining ministers likely to be sworn in after the Rajya Sabha elections on June 18 . Sources indicate that two Deputy Chief Ministers could be sworn in alongside Shivakumar, one expected to represent the Dalit community and another from the minority community, reflecting the Congress leadership's effort to ensure broader social representation in the new government.
On the question of scale, Congress state working president G C Chandrashekhar confirmed that plans to mobilise 10,000 to 15,000 buses to bring supporters to Bengaluru were dropped, citing the ongoing fuel crisis and traffic concerns. The party has issued directions for the event to be conducted simply, emphasising service rather than display, and has urged workers not to rush to the venue.
Meanwhile, the political transition has also triggered a sharp opposition offensive. BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar has demanded that outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah account for alleged pending payments under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme before leaving office, claiming that payments for February and March 2025, totalling nearly Rs 5,000 crore, had not reached eligible beneficiaries. The scheme provides Rs 2,000 per month to women heads of Below Poverty Line families. The BJP has argued that as both Chief Minister and Finance Minister, Siddaramaiah bears direct responsibility for clarifying the fate of public funds, with the matter having already triggered a walkout in the Belagavi Assembly session in December 2025. No response from Siddaramaiah on the allegation has been forthcoming as yet.
As the curtain falls on the Siddaramaiah era, Shivakumar, a political heavyweight who helmed the party's organisational machinery and was instrumental in Congress's sweeping 2023 Assembly victory, steps into the Chief Minister's chair after a three-year wait.