No proposal yet on state cabinet under DK Shivakumar: Kharge

Bengaluru: AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that the Congress leadership hasn't yet received any proposal concerning those who will be inducted as deputy chief ministers and ministers on Wednesday, even as CM-designate DK Shivakumar and outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah are busy drawing up their lists of people for the ministership.

Kharge indicated that the Cabinet formation is going to be a long-drawn exercise, stretching beyond two weeks.

Congress sources maintained that Shivakumar will take oath on Wednesday evening at Lok Bhavan along with 10-12 ministers. The list is still under preparation. Although the central leadership will take the final call, it is facing significant pressure from several aspirants.


Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah will visit New Delhi on Monday for detailed discussions with the AICC leadership regarding the Cabinet formation. "No proposal has come yet. Once it comes, we will have discussions on how many ministers and deputy 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. Shivakumar, while speaking with the press, said he was not aware if he was taking oath alone or would be joined by others. The party high command will decide that, he said.

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