DK Shivakumar to become Karnataka’s new CM after being elected state CLP leader; swearing in ceremony June 3 | Today’s news
Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar was on Saturday elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), paving the way for him to become the next Chief Minister of the state.
Shivakumar is reportedly scheduled to take oath as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka on June 3. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan, Bengaluru.
During the CLP meeting at Vidhana Soudha, outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested Shivakumar’s name for the post. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and Karnataka Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala oversaw the meeting.
“After discussions with the party leadership, the high command proposed the name of DK Shivakumar as the CLP leader. Siddaramaiah proposed his name and G. Parameshwara seconded it. The Congress legislature party unanimously accepted the proposal and elected DK Shivakumar as its leader,” Venugopal said.
He added, “I am proud to announce that the Karnataka Congress Legislature Party has unanimously elected DK Shivakumar as its leader. He will now meet the Governor and take oath as the Chief Minister on June 3 along with his team.”
Siddaramaiah resigned as Karnataka CM
Siddaramaiah resigned as chief minister on May 28, saying his decision was voluntary and taken on the advice of the Congress high command. Subsequently, Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted his resignation and ordered the immediate dissolution of the Council of Ministers.
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However, Siddaramaiah was asked to remain in office as interim chief minister until a new leadership arrangement was put in place.
Who is DK Shivakumar?
DK Shivakumar started his political journey at a young age when he joined the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress Party, at the age of 18. His organizational skills soon earned him leadership responsibilities and he served as the NSUI district unit president in Bengaluru from 1981 to 1983.
During his time at Ramnarayan Chellaram College in Bengaluru, Shivakumar expanded his political involvement by joining the Youth Congress. He later became the general secretary of the organization’s Karnataka unit, strengthening his position in the party’s youth leadership.
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Shivakumar entered electoral politics in 1985 when the Congress fielded him against senior Janata Dal leader HD Deve Gowda in the Sathanur Assembly constituency. Although he did not win the election, his strong speeches helped establish him as a rising figure in Karnataka politics.
His first electoral victory came in 1987 when he was elected to the Bengaluru Rural Zilla Panchayat from Sathanur. Following this success, he secured a seat in the Karnataka Assembly from Sathanur in 1989 on a Congress ticket.
The early 1990s marked a significant phase in Shivakumar’s political rise. He played an important role in forming the government headed by S. Bangarappa and was subsequently inducted into the cabinet as the Prisons Minister, becoming one of the youngest ministers in the state.
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Despite being denied a Congress ticket in the 1994 assembly elections, Shivakumar remained politically active and contested as a rebel candidate, ensuring his continued prominence in Karnataka’s political landscape.
Over the next three decades, Shivakumar built a reputation as one of the Congress Party’s most effective organizers and election strategists. Considered a close confidant of SM Krishna, he held several key ministerial portfolios, including cooperation, urban development and energy.
His consistent electoral success from Sathanur and later Kanakapura helped cement his position as one of the strongest Congress leaders in Karnataka. With his organizational skills and grassroots connections, Shivakumar emerged as a central figure in the party’s state leadership.
Following the victory of the Congress party in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, Shivakumar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka on 20 May 2023.
