DK Shivakumar meets Governor Gehlot, bets say he will form new government in Karnataka

After being unanimously elected as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader on Saturday (May 30, 2026), Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar will be sworn in as Chief Minister on Wednesday (June 3) at the Lok Bhavan. The party’s central leadership is expected to attend the event.

As the cabinet formation is still being discussed, speculation continues about whether the entire cabinet will be sworn in and whether there will be deputy prime ministers.

Attended CLP Karnataka meeting where Sh. @DKShivakumar ji was elected as the new leader of the CLP. He is a fierce fighter with a strong focus on development, public welfare and upliftment of the poor.

He succeeds a dedicated leader who delivered top-notch governance, and we… pic.twitter.com/i5ZnRjPgl5

— KC Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) May 30, 2026

Governor’s invitation

In a communique, Governor Thaawarchand Ghehlot invited Mr. Shivakumar to take oath at 4:05 pm on Wednesday. It is expected to be a simple event at the Glass House in the Governor’s residential premises.

The Governor’s invitation came after a delegation of Congress leaders, including Mr. Shivakumar and Caretaker Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, met the Governor to hand over the CLP resolution to elect a new leader. The letter said 135 Congress legislators, two associate members and one member of the Raitha Sangh unanimously elected Mr. Shivakumar. Earlier in the day, Mr. Shivakumar also met the Governor informally to check his availability on the dates selected for the swearing-in.

“The Congress high command proposed Mr. Shivakumar’s name for the post of CLP and he was elected unanimously. The transfer of power took place under the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and leader Sonia Gandhi,” Congress general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal told reporters. “With the support of Mr. Siddaramaiah and the leadership of Mr. Shivakumar, the Congress will return to power in 2028,” he said.

Congratulations to the unanimously elected Leader of the Congress Legislature Party and CM Elect of Karnataka, Sh. @DKShivakumar .

A true warrior, a dyed in the wool Congress worker, an organizer par excellence, a man in whose blood runs the Congress ideology. Above all, a leader with… pic.twitter.com/7FeXzoNemb

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 30, 2026

‘One Family’

Reacting to the speculation regarding the transfer of power, Mr. Venugopal said, “Several people predicted that the Congress would face difficulties during the transfer of power. Everyone was speculating about Mr. Siddaramaiah’s move. But with his decision, he has shown that he only has the Congress party at heart. It shows that the Congress is one family.”

Earlier, in a CLP meeting held at Vidhan Soudha in the presence of Mr. Venugopal and Congress General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, the legislators unanimously elected the new leader by a show of hands after Mr. Shivakumar’s name was proposed by the outgoing Chief Minister and seconded by senior leader G. Parameshwara The election of the new CLP leader was announced by Mr. Venugopal.

Siddaramaiah role

Shortly after the meeting began, Mr Siddaramaiah – who has remained CLP leader since 2008, served twice as Leader of the Opposition and as Chief Minister from May 2023 for one full term in addition to his current term – said the selection of a new CLP leader was left to the discretion of the high command. The two central officials along with Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar met separately briefly before informing Rahul Gandhi of the decision following which the CLP elected Mr Shivakumar, sources said.

“The process was smooth. Mr. Siddaramaiah’s contribution was appreciated and the CLP passed a resolution in this regard. The outgoing chief minister also briefed the legislators about his government’s contribution and the challenges faced, apart from the government’s financial position,” a senior Congress official said.

A leader who attended the meeting said the party high command, which had earlier encouraged Mr Siddaramaiah to enter national politics when he was asked to step down to pave the way for a transition to power, had reopened the issue. Mr. Venugopal is learned to have talked about availing the services of the veteran leader both at the state and national levels in the future.

Will DK Shivakumar’s cabinet strike the right balance?

After months of speculation and uncertainty, political shadow-boxing, several trips to Delhi and a series of diplomatic breakfast and dinner meetings, Siddaramaiah finally stepped down as Chief Minister of Karnataka on 28 May 2026, handing over the mantle to his deputy and chief ministerial aspirant DK Shivakumar. What does the changing of guards mean for the Congress in Karnataka? What are the key challenges facing CM-to-be DK Shivakumar? And what next for Siddaramaiah? | Video Credit: The Hindu

Published – 30 May 2026 18:39 IST