Bengaluru, 31 May

Karnataka Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah will meet the party high command in Delhi on 1 June to discuss Cabinet formation, sources said on Sunday.

Intense lobbying for Cabinet berths and deputy chief minister posts continued, with some leaders meeting Shivakumar and others reaching out to Siddaramaiah.

Senior Congress leaders such as MB Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Madhu Bangarappa met Shivakumar at his residence, sources added.

Congress MLAs, including Sharan Prakash Patil, Raghavendra Hitnal and Basanagouda Daddesh, are also travelling to Delhi to meet the party leadership, sources said.

Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka state Congress president, is all set to take oath as the next CM on 3 June, following his election as the Congress Legislature Party leader here.

Soon after he was elected CLP leader, Shivakumar met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at Lok Bhavan and staked a claim to form the government.

The governor subsequently invited him to take the oath as CM along with other ministers.

The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 4.05 pm on June 3 at the Lok Bhavan premises.

"Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are scheduled to travel to Delhi on Monday to meet the Congress high command and discuss the swearing-in ceremony, Cabinet formation, allocation of portfolios and organisational issues, including the appointment of a new KPCC president," party sources said.

When reporters asked Shivakumar how many people would take the oath along with him, he said, "I don’t know. Whatever the party high command decides will be done. I don’t want to comment on that."

The intense lobbying for ministerial posts came even as AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge maintained that no proposal regarding the composition of the new Cabinet or the creation of deputy CM posts had yet reached the party leadership.

Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, Kharge said, "No proposal has come yet. Once the proposal comes, discussions will be held on the number of ministers to be appointed, whether deputy CMs should be appointed, and whether important chairmanships should also be created."

He said the party was yet to receive any formal proposal on the size and structure of the ministry and indicated that Cabinet formation could be carried out in phases.

"We do not know whether they will propose eight or 10 ministers. Once the proposal comes, it will be considered accordingly," he said.

Speculation continued over the possible creation of multiple deputy CM posts as part of a social and regional balancing exercise, though Kharge said no such proposal had yet been formally considered by the high command.

"Once the initial phase is completed, naturally, another phase will follow. We are evaluating various factors. We have to identify capable people and also ensure the right combination," he added.

Amid the race for ministerial posts, former Karnataka PWD minister and Yamakanamaradi MLA Satish Jarkiholi said discussions on social representation in the new government were expected to begin shortly, though he maintained that he had not sought any particular post.

"Discussions regarding broader social representation will take place today or tomorrow. Those discussions have to happen and eventually reach a conclusion," Jarkiholi said at a press conference here.

Asked about efforts by supporters projecting him for a major role, including reports of demands from sections of the OBC community, Jarkiholi said the party would take the final call.

Supporters of senior Congress MLA MB Patil have been pressing for a key position for the senior Lingayat leader, with demands ranging from the KPCC president’s post to a Deputy Chief Minister position for the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.

"All such matters will be decided by the party leadership," he told reporters here.

Former minister KH Muniyappa also reiterated his faith in the Congress high command amid speculation over representation for leaders from his camp and possible opportunities for his daughter Roopa Shashidhar, who is an MLA.

"I worked under the high command for 30 years. Whatever decision the high command takes, we will abide by it," Muniyappa told reporters.

Former minister MC Sudhakar, another aspirant for a Cabinet berth, told reporters in Chikkaballapura that he would accept the party’s decision.

Lobbying was also visible at the district level, with leaders from Kolar pressing for ministerial representation. Bangarpet MLA SN Narayanaswamy and Malur MLA KY Nanjegowda said they had met Shivakumar and urged him to ensure representation for Kolar district and major communities such as the Scheduled Castes and Vokkaligas.