Hectic consultations continued in New Delhi on Friday as the Congress worked to finalise the composition of the next Karnataka government. The Congress Legislative Party is set to meet on Saturday to elect its new leader. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation the same day and asked him to serve as caretaker until the new government is formed.
Discussions focused on the number of Deputy Chief Minister posts and the size of the Cabinet. Siddaramaiah has favoured multiple deputies to represent different caste groups, while D.K. Shivakumar has resisted the move, citing concerns over parallel power centres.
Party sources indicated that talks are continuing on whether to appoint two Deputy Chief Ministers. They also examined options for swearing in a full Cabinet of about 15 ministers alongside the Chief Minister, aiming for a balance of experience and younger members.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee announced that the CLP meeting will take place at Vidhan Soudha on Saturday evening. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar separately briefed central leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, during their meetings in Delhi. The swearing-in ceremony for Shivakumar is expected next week at a venue still under discussion.
