Bengaluru, May 30: Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was unanimously elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Karnataka on Friday, paving the way for him to become the next Chief Minister of the state.
Announcing the decision at Vidhana Soudha, AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge K.C. Venugopal said the development followed the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the subsequent acceptance of his resignation by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
Venugopal said the Congress Legislature Party meeting first unanimously authorised the Congress high command to choose a leader for the CLP. Following consultations with the party leadership, the Congress high command proposed the name of D.K. Shivakumar as the new leader of the Karnataka Congress Legislature Party.
According to Venugopal, Siddaramaiah formally proposed Shivakumar’s name, while senior Congress leader Dr G. Parameshwara seconded the proposal. The CLP unanimously endorsed the recommendation.
“I would like to proudly announce that the Karnataka Congress Legislature Party has unanimously elected D.K. Shivakumar as its leader,” Venugopal said.
He added that Shivakumar would now meet the Governor and stake claim to form the government.
Venugopal further announced that D.K. Shivakumar would take oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka along with his team on the evening of June 3.
The development formally marks the beginning of the leadership transition in Karnataka after Siddaramaiah stepped down from the top post following three years in office.
With the CLP’s unanimous backing and the approval of the Congress high command, Shivakumar is now set to become Karnataka’s next Chief Minister, ending years of political anticipation surrounding his elevation to the state’s highest office.
