Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar Fly to Delhi to Discuss Selection of Ministers & Portfolio Allocation

Bengaluru: Chief Minister-designate of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar flew to New Delhi on Friday to hold discussions with the Congress high command regarding the ministers to be inducted and the allocation of portfolios.

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Thursday formally elected Siddaramaiah as its leader. Then staked his claim for the post of the CM and the Governor invited him to form the government.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar would take oath as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively along with a few ministers at 12.30 pm on Saturday at the Kanteerava Stadium.

“Siddaramaiah, Randeep Singh Surjewala (AICC general secretary) and I will be going to Delhi, we will meet Mallikarjun Kharge (AICC president) to discuss the first stage of cabinet expansion and decide about it,” Shivakumar said, before leaving for the national capital.

The first challenge that Siddaramaiah is expected to face is putting in place a Cabinet with the right combinations that will strike a balance in having representatives from all communities, regions, factions and also from among the old and new generation of legislators.

The sanctioned strength of the Karnataka cabinet is 34.