BENGALURU: Siddaramaiah will be sworn in as chief minister for the second term, along with state Congress president DK Shivakumar as deputy chief minister on Saturday afternoon, exactly a week after the party swept the Assembly polls in Karnataka.
According to sources in the Congress, eight legislators are likely to be sworn in as ministers along with them.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were in Delhi till late Friday night discussing with the party’s high command the names of ministers to be inducted into the new cabinet and the allocation of portfolios. While the CM-designate has returned to Bengaluru, the KPCC chief is on his way back.
Sources said those who are likely to be sworn in as ministers are: G Parameshwara (SC), KH Muniyappa (SC), KJ George (Minority-Christian), MB Patil (Lingayat), Satish Jarkiholi (ST-Valmiki), Priyank Kharge (SC and AICC president M Mallikarjun Kharge’s son), Ramalinga Reddy (Reddy), and BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan (Minority-Muslim).
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has invited leaders of several like-minded parties for the swearing-in ceremony, which will see Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administer the oath of office and secrecy to the chief minister and his cabinet at 12.30 pm at Sree Kanteerava Stadium here.
The venue is the same place where Siddaramaiah took oath in 2013, when he became chief minister for the first time.
The event may turn out to be a show of strength for opposition parties amid unity efforts to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.