Karnataka: Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar meet Governor, stake claim to form govt

The Governor has officially invited CM-designate Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM-designate DK Shivakumar to take oath along with team members. The oath ceremony will take place at 12.30 pm on 20th May in Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru.

Bengaluru: Karnataka CM-designate Siddaramaiah led a Congress delegation and met Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot Thursday evening to stake claim to form the next government. The delegation met the governor shortly after the Congress Legislature Party formally elected Siddaramaiah as its leader.

A Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was called by the party's Karnataka unit chief D K Shivakumar here on Thursday evening which officially nominated Siddaramaiah as the leader of the CLP. Following the CLP meeting, Siddaramaiah met the governor and staked claim to the government in the southern state.

The Governor then officially invited CM-designate Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM-designate DK Shivakumar to take oath along with team members. The oath ceremony will take place at 12.30 pm on 20th May in Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru.

Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, who were camping in the national capital for days after winning the Karnataka Assembly polls, reached Bengaluru Thursday evening. After days of deliberation, Congress on Thursday announced that party leader Siddaramaiah will be the next Karnataka Chief Minister and DK Shivakumar will be Deputy Chief Minister.

Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal made the announcement at the party headquarters in the national capital. He said Shivakumar will continue as state Congress chief till the Lok Sabha polls. He will be the only Deputy chief minister. "DK Shivakumar will continue as the PCC president till the end of parliamentary elections. CM, Deputy CM and a group of ministers will be sworn in on May 20," Venugopal said.

Congress bagged 135 seats in the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly ousting the ruling BJP, which got 66 seats while the Janata Dal (Secular) secured 19 seats. Leaders of several like-minded opposition parties are likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka chief minister-designate Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday in Bengaluru.