Karnataka: AICC yet to get proposal on Cabinet ministers, says Mallikarjun Kharge

Bengaluru: AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said they are yet to receive a proposal on the persons to be inducted as ministers and deputy chief ministers on June 3 even as CM-designate DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are busy drawing up their own lists of people for ministership.

Kharge, however, indicated that the Cabinet formation is going to be a long drawn exercise that may stretch beyond two weeks.

Sources in the Congress said Shivakumar will take oath on June 3 evening at Lok Bhavan along with 10-12 ministers, but even this list is still under preparation. But the Delhi leadership will take a final call though the AICC leaders are under pressure from several ministerial aspirants.


Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah will visit Delhi on Monday to have detailed discussions with the AICC leadership on the persons to be inducted in the first batch and if the Cabinet must have deputy CMs.

“No proposal has come yet. Once it comes, we will have discussions on how many ministers and Dy CMs should be appointed,” Kharge told the media.

Siddaramaiah is said to have drawn up his own list of people to be appointed as ministers, while Shivakumar is pushing for some of his loyalists.

Kharge, however, made it clear that it may take two or four weeks for the second batch of leaders to be sworn-in as ministers as the party will have elaborate discussions post June 3.

Shivakumar, in a chat with the media, said he was not aware if he was taking oath alone on June 3 or will be joined by others. The party high command will decide that, he said.

The CM-designate, who is also the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) inspected the site identified for the new Congress bhavan on Race Course road in Bengaluru on Sunday.

He said he would invite Rahul Gandhi and Kharge to perform Bhoomi pooja for the new party office on June 3 after the swearing-in ceremony. He said he would take up the project of building 100 Congress offices in Karnataka in the coming days.