D K Shivakumar to take oath as 25th Karnataka Chief Minister on June 3
BENGALURU — D K Shivakumar is scheduled to take the oath of office as the 25th Chief Minister of Karnataka on June 3, 2026, marking a major transition in the state's leadership.
The swearing-in ceremony is set to take place at 3:30 p.m. at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan, Bengaluru. The timing of the event was finalized following consultations with Shivakumar's personal astrologer, Bellur Dwarakanath. Shivakumar, who is a firm believer in astrology, was advised to take the oath during an auspicious period starting around 4:05 p.m. The schedule is also expected to facilitate the attendance of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who played a key role during the final stages of the leadership transition discussions.
Karnataka Congress working president G C Chandrashekhar stated that the party initially planned a large-scale public event on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha with 15,000 to 20,000 people in attendance. However, the party decided on a simpler ceremony to avoid causing traffic congestion on a working day and to remain mindful of citizens facing inflation and fuel price hikes. Chandrashekhar appealed to party workers not to travel to the venue, assuring them that Shivakumar would later go on district tours to interact with Congress workers and the public.
The leadership transition follows a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Saturday, where Shivakumar was unanimously elected as the CLP leader. This marks the first change in the state's CLP leadership in 17 years, a position previously held by outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah throughout that entire period.
Siddaramaiah proposed Shivakumar's name during the meeting, and former home minister G Parameshwara seconded the motion before it received unanimous backing from the legislators. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal made the formal announcement of the election.
Following the meeting, Shivakumar met with Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot to formally stake his claim to form the government. Attention has now shifted to cabinet formation, with several ministers likely to be sworn in alongside Shivakumar if consultations conclude before Tuesday.
Congress is currently attempting to balance caste, community, and regional interests while accommodating various party factions after Siddaramaiah's exit. While discussions are underway regarding key portfolios, plans to appoint multiple deputy chief ministers in line with the Ahinda social coalition formula are being reconsidered due to the large number of aspirants. Additionally, discussions are ongoing regarding a significant role for Siddaramaiah's son, Yathindra, though sources indicated the outgoing chief minister is not keen on his induction into the cabinet.
