List of Ministers to be sworn in with DKS to be finalised only June 3

The much-awaited list of names of leaders to be inducted into the Cabinet, along with D.K. Shivakumar, who will be sworn in on Wednesday evening, is likely to be announced by the Congress central leadership only on Wednesday morning.

Multiple sources indicated that there could be between 10 and 15 Ministers who will be sworn in along with the Chief Minister, though agreement had not been arrived at till late on Tuesday.

Hectic parleys

While hectic parleys and lobbying that were witnessed in Delhi on Monday continued on Tuesday too, outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar left Delhi on Tuesday night after giving their preferences in the Cabinet to the central leadership.

The two have been bargaining hard on Cabinet formation, creation of the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, and setting up coordination committee, among others, with the top Congress leadership.

KPCC president post

Party sources indicated that central leadership is considering a few, whose names were part of the cabinet deliberations, for the post of the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The final list is likely to be made available by the Congress central leadership on Wednesday morning after arriving at some consensus on the KPCC President’s post, party sources indicated.

The demand of leaders being considered for the post, that they should also be given cabinet berths, is learnt to be holding back on coming up with the final list of leaders to be sworn into the cabinet and the new president for the State unit.

DyCM post uncertain

Party leaders were tight lipped on the creation of post of deputy chief minister and the number of posts if the party decides on it, with Mr. Shivakuma continuing to resist the idea.

“After the swearing in on Wednesday, the expansion of Cabinet is likely to be done only after Rajya Sabha polls. By then the mood of the cabinet hopefuls could also be gauged. The caste and regional combinations is being worked with the preferences of both leaders,” sources said.

Multiple meetins

On Tuesday, Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar held multiple rounds of meeting with the central leadership, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal and General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala. The Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met the leaders briefly on Tuesday evening. All the leaders have been having multiple meetings since Monday evening.

Meanwhile, protests were held in different parts of the State seeking deputy chief minister posts to Santhosh Lad, K.H. Muniyappa, Priyanka Kharge and Yathindra Siddaramaiah. Protests and meetins pushing for cabinet berths for Eshwar Khandre, Tanveer Sait, Hampangpowda Badarli and Asif Sait were also held. Followers of Anil Chikkamadu, Shivaraj Tangadagi and Shivalinge Gowda held special prayers and poojas.