NEW DELHI : The road for the ‘DKS Sarkar’ in Karnataka is now clear after the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Saturday unanimously picked DK Shivakumar as its leader, and the latter staked claim to form the next government in the state.
The CLP held a closely-watched meeting in Bengaluru’s Vidhan Soudha attended by CLP Secretary Allamprabhu Patil, AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal. Outgoing CM Siddaramaiah, who resigned on May 28, proposed Shivakumar’s name as the next leader.
The relatively smooth leadership change followed a round of marathon talks in New Delhi involving the Congress high command, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, aimed at concluding the leadership change and charting the course for the formation of the new government. Since the Congress’s victory in the 2023 Assembly elections, there had been a persistent talk of a power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, which would involve a transfer of power after 2.5 years.
What Happened In The CLP Meeting?
The CLP meeting witnessed the unanimous passage of three key resolutions, paving the way for the formal election of DK Shivakumar as the party’s legislative leader.
In the first resolution, Siddaramaiah proposed that the selection of the new CLP leader be left to the Congress high command. The resolution was seconded by senior Congress leader and Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara and passed unanimously by a show of hands.
In the second resolution, Siddaramaiah then proposed the name of D.K. Shivakumar for the post of CLP leader. The proposal was again seconded by Parameshwara and received unanimous approval from all legislators present, formally electing Shivakumar as the CLP leader.
After his election as CLP leader, Shivakumar moved a resolution thanking Siddaramaiah for his leadership and contribution to the party. The resolution was adopted amid a display of unity within the Karnataka Congress unit.
Shivakumar Stakes Claim To Form Govt
After being elected as the CLP leader, Shivakumar met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at Lok Bhavan and formally staked claim to form the next government in the state.
Shivakumar was accompanied by outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other senior state leaders. Governor Gehlot invited him to take the oath as the Chief Minister of the state on June 3.
The oath ceremony will take place at 4:05 pm on June 3, 2026, on the Lok Bhavan premises, as per the letter. In his letter to the Governor staking his claim, Shivakumar stated that the Karnataka CLP, consisting of 135 members of the Indian National Congress, 2 associated members and 1 Raita Sangha MLA, had unanimously elected him as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party.
Siddaramaiah later congratulated DK Shivakumar on being elected as leader of the Congress Legislative Party, praising his “indomitable dynamism, organisational acumen, and unwavering loyalty.”
The outgoing CM expressed confidence in Shivakumar’s ability to steer Karnataka’s development and uphold the party’s ideological values amid national socio-political challenges.
Shivakumar also said he was “humbled” to be elected as the Leader of the CLP and assured that the party was committed to serving the people of the state with dedication, integrity and purpose.
While Congress leaders hailed the smooth transition of power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a swipe at Shivakumar, saying the leadership change would not alter the “character” of the government that has been mired in corruption.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the leadership change reflects the Congress’s acknowledgement that Siddaramaiah’s governance has failed on multiple fronts. “Therefore, they have had to replace him. Otherwise, 2028 (assembly elections) is gone,” he added.
