Karnataka: DK Shivakumar elected Congress legislature party leader, will take oath as CM on June 3

Karnataka’s outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah resigned on May 30, 2024, after the Congress central leadership decided to replace him. The Governor of Karnataka, Thaawarchand Gehlot, accepted his resignation the following day and dissolved the Council of Ministers. Siddaramaiah, the longest-serving chief minister in Karnataka’s history with over eight years in office across two terms, had previously stated he would complete his full five-year term beginning in May 2023. DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka Congress President, was elected as the new leader of the legislature party on June 1, 2024. He is expected to be sworn in as the state’s next chief minister on June 3 at the Glass House of Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. Shivakumar previously served as deputy chief minister in Siddaramaiah’s government. Speculation about a leadership change had resurfaced in November 2023, after the Congress government completed half of its five-year term. Earlier reports suggested a possible rotational CM formula, where Shivakumar would have taken over after two and a half years, but the Congress never officially confirmed such an agreement. In July 2023, Siddaramaiah had stated he would remain in office for the full term, and in April 2024, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said there would be no change in Karnataka’s leadership ‘for now.’ Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met with Congress central leadership in Delhi on May 28, 2024, before Siddaramaiah’s resignation. The outgoing chief minister announced his decision to step down, stating he was following the Congress leadership’s directive. He also mentioned that the party had offered him a Rajya Sabha seat as a next step. Shivakumar’s elevation marks a significant shift in Karnataka’s political landscape, ending months of uncertainty over the state’s leadership.