Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and AICC general secretary and ex-Deputy CM Sachin Pilot have greeted DK Shiv Kumar on being sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka.
The Congress leadership is expected to unveil the first set of ministers alongside DK Shivakumar's swearing-in, with a broader cabinet expansion likely after June 18.
The smooth transfer of power in Karnataka has been hailed as a rare display of discipline in contemporary Indian politics.
Senior Congress leaders, including Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, have been holding a series of meetings with the party high command to iron out the final contours of the new government amid competing claims from various factions and aspirants.
With Karnataka set for a leadership transition on June 3, Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar and caretaker Chief Minister Siddaramaiah spent Monday in New Delhi engaged in crucial consultations with the Congress high command as the party moved to finalize the contours of a new government that could reshape the political balance within the state unit.
Language activists and education experts in Karnataka are staunchly opposing the three language formula — and Hindi, which has resulted in 90,000 students failing in the SSLC examinations and thus losing a year.
Incidentally, the cooperation minister had alleged that there were pen drives of 48 MLAs. Honey trapping is not restricted to state leaders, but extended to leaders from national parties. This is a menace he said urging the state home minister for action. He had maintained that there were attempts to honey trap him as well.
Party spokesman Dr. Sambit Patra described the decision as a height of appeasement as the 4 per cent minority reservation has been given to Muslims by reducing the quota set for OBCs.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced that there is no question of protecting anyone in connection with the honey trap row.
Flexing its muscles against the proposed delimitation exercise, the ruling DMK is convening the first meeting of the Joint-Action Committee (JAC) on March 22 (Saturday) in Chennai with three non-BJP Chief Ministers and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister as well as leaders of political parties confirming their participation.
