DK Shivakumar To Take Oath As Karnataka CM, Launch Eight Populist Schemes
DK Shivakumar is set to take oath as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday afternoon at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. Following the ceremony, the 64-year-old leader is expected to launch eight populist schemes focused on farmers and women, marking the formal transition of leadership within the state's Congress government.
Shivakumar was elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka on May 30. His swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. and has drawn a large mobilization of supporters, despite initial plans to keep the event low-key to prevent traffic disruptions in the city.
The proposed welfare initiatives are designed to address agricultural distress, rural incomes, and productivity. According to party functionaries, these programs are intended to serve as the flagship policies of the Shivakumar-led administration.
The strategy mirrors outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s 2013 launch of the Anna Bhagya scheme, which eventually expanded into a wider suite of welfare programs known as the 'Bhagyas.'
The final details of the eight schemes are still being firmed up. A cabinet meeting at the Vidhana Soudha is expected to clear the programs before Shivakumar makes his formal announcement. Officials are reviewing the financial implications of the new policies, given that the state government is already funding five existing guarantee schemes.
The transition also marks the beginning of cabinet formation. Around 15 ministers are expected to take their oaths in the first phase on Wednesday. The remaining cabinet positions are likely to be filled after the Rajya Sabha elections on June 18.
For the upcoming elections, the Congress party is understood to have chosen Mallikarjuna Kharge and Mansoor Ali Khan as its nominees for the Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka. The party is also considering national leaders Supriya Shrinate or Pawan Khera for a third seat.
As part of the leadership transition, outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been appointed to the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
