Cong Formally Announces Siddaramaiah as Karnataka CM & Shivakumar Deputy CM

New Delhi: Congress on Thursday formally announced Siddaramaiah as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka and DK Shivakumar as the only deputy CM of the state. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal made this formal declaration at a press conference at AICC headquarters.

Venugopal said, Shivakumar will continue as the Karnataka PCC president till the end of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The new CM, Deputy CM and ministers to be sworn-in on 20th May, said Venugopal.

Karnataka Deputy CM designate DK Shivakumar tweeted, “Karnataka’s secure future and our people’s welfare is our top priority, and we are united in guaranteeing that.”

According to Congress sources, the decision regarding the Karnataka CM was finalized on Wednesday night following meetings at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence.

The new state cabinet in Karnataka is expected to have 20 ministers. The leader of the Karnataka legislative party was chosen by secret ballot and the lawmakers’ choices went in Siddharamaiah’s favour.

Shivakumar is learnt to have said no to a proposed power-sharing formula conscious of its failure in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh agreed to accept the post of deputy CM.

Siddharamaiah was the CM of Karnataka in 2013. He went on to complete his term of five years. Siddharamaiah had quit the JD (S) after the party supremo promoted his son HD Kumaraswamy over Siddharamaiah.