STATE Congress President D K Shivakumar took oath as Karnataka Chief Minister on Wednesday and 13 other legislators, including senior leader G Parameshwara, were sworn-in as Ministers in his Cabinet. In the presence of AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and outgoing CM Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar took oath in the name of seer “Gangadhar Ajja”, while holding a copy of the Constitution. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shivakumar, Parameshwara and others at Lok Bhavan here. Parameshwara, who is set to be designated as Deputy CM, took oath in the name of Dr B R Ambedkar. Along with Shivakumar and Parameshwara, the legislators, who took oath as ministers were -- K H Muniyappa, K J George, M B Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi, Krishna Byregowda, Priyank Kharge, U T Khader, Eshwar Khandre, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Byrathi Suresh, and Sharan Prakash Patil. Barring Khader and Yathindra, all the others were ministers in the previous Siddaramaiah Government. Khader had been the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Yathindra, a member of the Legislative Council, is Siddaramaiah’s son. Shivakumar was elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party on May 30, following Siddaramaiah’s resignation as Chief Minister on May 28.

 

Shivakumar had served as Deputy Chief Minister under Siddaramaiah. AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, CMs of Congress ruled States, several top Congress leaders, dignitaries, and invitees were present at the swearing-in. Religious leaders from all major communities, including heads of various maths, were also present. According to officials, the invitees included students from a government school in Doddaalahalli in Kanakapura, which is Shivakumar’s native village. Take everyone along: Sonia Gandhi’s advice to Shivakumar: SENIOR Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday spoke to D K Shivakumar on the phone, conveying her best wishes to him before taking oath as Chief Minister and also advising him to take everyone along. “Take everyone along. I have immense confidence that you will lead Karnataka successfully. Discharge your new responsibilities effectively and continue to achieve greater success,” Sonia Gandhi told him. Shivakumar thanked the former Congress President for her guidance and good wishes as he prepares to assume office. The phone call came hours before Shivakumar was scheduled to take oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka along with members of his Council of Ministers in Bengaluru.