D K Shivakumar

The laborious road ahead for D K Shivakumar on jobs, growth and welfare

From delivering welfare promises to scripting a Congress comeback in 2028, the new CM will have his hands full. Archis Mohan writes

Shivakumar meets Guv Gehlot, stakes claim to form new govt in Karnataka

Karnataka state Congress President D K Shivakumar was elected leader of the legislature party on Saturday, paving the way for him to take over as the next chief minister of the state, party sources said. Senior leader Siddaramaiah, the outgoing chief minister, proposed Shivakumar's name as the new leader of the legislature party at the meeting held at Vidhan Soudha. The meeting was overseen by AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. However, the CLP meeting to elect the new leader took a break, and top leaders including Siddaramaiah, Venugopal and Surjewala went into a huddle in a separate room, according to sources. Shivakumar's swearing-in as the new CM will take place on June 3 at the Glass House of Lok Bhavan here. Shivakumar served as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Siddaramaiah government. Siddaramaiah resigned as Chief Minister on Thursday and Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, accepted his resignation the next day and dissolved the Council of Minist

D K Shivakumar meets Karnataka Guv ahead of CLP meeting to elect new leader

The Congress Legislature Party is scheduled to meet on Saturday evening here to elect its new leader, who will succeed Siddaramaiah as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. D K Shivakumar, who served as Deputy CM under Siddaramaiah, is widely expected to be elected as the new leader of the CLP. Siddaramaiah's resignation as Chief Minister was accepted and the Council of Ministers was dissolved by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday. All lawmakers have been asked to attend the CLP meeting at 4 pm in Vidhana Soudha's conference hall, which will be overseen by AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. According to sources, Siddaramaiah himself will propose Shivakumar as the new CLP leader, or a one-line resolution may be passed authorising the Congress high command to choose the next leader. The swearing-in of the new Chief Minister is likely on Sunday or Monday, and it may be held on the iconic grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, official sources said. There

Karnataka Governor accepts Siddaramaiah's resignation, dissolves Cabinet

Development came after Siddaramaiah stepped down from the post following directions from the Congress high command; he will continue as Chief Minister until alternative arrangements are made

Siddaramaiah quits as Karnataka CM, clears path for D K Shivakumar

Congress replaced Siddaramaiah with D K Shivakumar as Karnataka chief minister ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls and 2029 Lok Sabha elections

Siddaramaiah resigns as Karnataka CM, DK Shivakumar to succeed him

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is widely expected to step down, hosted a breakfast for his cabinet colleagues at his official residence here on Thursday. His current deputy and possible successor, D K Shivakumar and other cabinet colleagues attended the breakfast meeting. It is being speculated that Siddaramaiah will announce his stepping down from the CM post to make way for Shivakumar, possibly at the breakfast meeting. The CM reportedly sought the Governor's appointment after the party high command apparently asked him to make way for a leadership change in the state. He also said he will speak on the matter on Thursday. Though the 77-year-old veteran was likely to meet Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot later today to apparently tender his resignation, Lok Bhavan sources said the Governor is not in the city; he has left for Indore for personal reasons. As the political heat rises in the southern state in anticipation of a new CM, AICC General Secretary in charge of ...

Leadership issue: Congress high command decision final, says Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asserted that whatever the Congress high command decides on the CM change issue is final, and that he will be committed to what the leadership says. He also clarified that he is not going to Delhi to discuss the issue, and will go only if he is called by the high command. The CM was responding to comments made by his deputy and another claimant for the Chief Minister post D K Shivakumar earlier in the day that he has "no confusion" over the leadership issue, as he and Siddaramaiah have discussed the matter in presence of the Congress high command. "I will not speak about it now. Whatever the high command says is final. There is no use of you asking unnecessary questions," the CM told reporters here. When reporters said that they were merely asking what Shivakumar had stated, a visibly upset Siddaramaiah said, "if he has said something, you ask him. I don't know. I'm committed to what the high command says." Stating that he is not go

Happy that Siddaramaiah becomes Karnataka's longest-serving CM: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has congratulated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as he is about to complete a record tenure, saying it is a proud moment and that the veteran Congress leader will continue to remain in the history books. "This is a happy moment. I wish him well. Everyone has an ambition to achieve in life. He has been in the history books in the past, and he will be (there) in the future too," Shivakumar told reporters, referring to Siddaramaiah surpassing the record of Devaraj Urs on Wednesday and becoming the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka. On speculation about his own political future, Shivakumar said he has risen from a village background to his present position and asked reporters not to put words in his mouth. There was a stiff power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar over the top post in the southern state. It intensified in mid-November, after the Congress government touched the halfway mark in its tenure. Amid the heightened

Don't interfere in our state's affairs: Shivakumar to Kerala CM Vijayan

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday advised Kerala Chief Minister not to interfere in Karnataka's affairs with regard to an anti-encroachment drive in North Bengaluru. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday strongly criticised the reported demolition of Muslim residential areas in Karnataka's capital, calling the action shocking and painful. In a Facebook post, Vijayan referred to the reported bulldozing of Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout, where Muslim families had been living for many years. It is all a political statement. Without knowing the facts, Pinarayi should not interfere in our state's affairs. These are all political gimmicks at the time of the elections, Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, told reporters here. He said it was unfortunate that senior leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan commented on the matter without knowing the facts of the issues in Bengaluru. Some people had encroached. It's a waste dump site. It was a quarry pi

Leadership row: Will wait for Congress high command's call, says Shivakumar

With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM D K Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to discuss the matter. He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when called. "I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session in Belagavi. Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go." "They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," th

Congress high command will call us at 'appropriate time': DK Shivakumar

With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter. He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned. "I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session. Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go." "They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnat

Siddaramaiah rejects power-sharing theory, says will remain Karnataka CM

Speculation over whether DK Shivakumar would be appointed CM by the Congress high command persisted for a few days and was subsequently clarified by the party after the two leaders met for breakfast

Karnataka power tussle: CM Siddaramaiah attends Satish Jarkiholi's dinner

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with a group of Ministers and legislators, attended a dinner hosted by senior Minister Satish Jarkiholi here on December 18, official sources said. The dinner meeting held at the residence of Jarkiholi, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, has sparked speculations amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress over the CM post. According to sources, the attendees included Ministers G Parameshwara, H C Mahadevappa, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, M C Sudhakar, and MLA A S Ponnanna. All of them are considered close to Siddaramaiah. The gathering followed a dinner the previous night, where Jarkiholi hosted over thirty like-minded legislators at a hotel here. While Siddaramaiah skipped it, his son and MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, confidant and MLA K N Rajanna, were among those who were present. The dinner meetings come a week after over 30 Congress legislators, including some Ministers, met for dinner along with Deputy Chief Minister D

ED's image tarnished: Shivakumar as Congress protests National Herald case

Karnataka Congress leaders staged protests near the Gandhi statue at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi against the Central government over the National Herald case

Dy CM Shivakumar will become K'taka CM on January 6, says Congress MLA

A ruling Congress MLA, H A Iqbal Hussain, on Saturday predicted that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will become Chief Minister on January 6. He said the post, presently occupied by Siddaramaiah, should be vacated for Shivakumar. Shivakumar should be given a chance to become chief minister, the Ramanagara MLA told reporters. "There is a 99 per cent chance that he becomes chief minister on January 6," Hussain, who is a staunch supporter of Shivakumar, said. When asked what significance the date has, he said, "I don't know. It's just a random number. Everybody is saying this. It can either be January 6 or 9. These are the two dates." Hussain has been demanding that Shivakumar should be made the chief minister. On Friday, he had made his wish public. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railways and a BJP MP, V Somanna, said that he is supporting Home Minister G Parameshwara for the CM post. "Getting power is luck. I never dreamt that Parameshwara would remain just as the Hom

Karnataka Dy CM, over 30 Congress legislators, ministers meet for dinner

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and over 30 Congress legislators, including some ministers, met for a dinner late on Thursday night, party sources said. Ministers K H Muniyappa, Mankal Vaidya, Dr M C Sudhakar, MLAs N A Haris, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, H C Balakrishna, Ganesh Hukkeri, Darshan Dhruvanarayana, Ashok Kumar Rai, K Y Nanjegowda were among those present in the meeting, the sources added. Expelled BJP MLAs ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar also attended the dinner, they said. The dinner meeting came a day after CM Siddaramaiah, along with ministers and a few legislators considered close to him, met for a dinner hosted by former Belagavi North MLA Feroz Sait. Though leaders term it a casual dinner meeting, speculation is rife as it had taken place amid a power tussle in the ruling party, over the CM post. There were speculations about a change in chief minister when the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, as it was believe

No leadership change in Karnataka, claims CM Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Thursday reiterated that there is no leadership change in Karnataka. The Congress MLC further said that there was no power tussle in the state. Speculation about a leadership change had intensified after the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, fuelled by talk of an alleged power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar dating back to 2023. Recently, the chief minister and deputy CM held breakfast meetings at each other's residences on instructions from the party high commanda move seen as an attempt to pause the leadership tussle and signal Siddaramaiah's continuation as chief minister for now, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session. They also clarified that they will abide by the party high command's decision. "There is no tussle over CM post. This I have told you already. Now everything is clear. The high command has clearly said as of now there

Karnataka's hate speech bill to safeguard constitutional values: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said that a bill to curb hate speech was to safeguard constitutional values and curb provocative political discourse. He also hit out the opposition BJP for criticising the bill. The state government on Wednesday tabled in the Assembly the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crime (Prevention) Bill that proposed a jail term of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 1 lakh. Speaking to reporters at the Belagavi Circuit House, Shivakumar said the opposition had no reason to object it. "If the BJP refrains from indulging in hate speech, everything will be fine. They have been the pioneers of creating hostility, be it through caste-based, religious, or personal attacks," he said. He argued that the bill aims to reinforce constitutional principles, countering the BJP's allegation that it is being introduced to target political opponents. "Let the BJP conduct itself as per constitutional values. This legislation is meant to safegua

Centre not cooperating with Karnataka to solve farmers' woes: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the Centre was not cooperating with the state to solve farmers' problems. The ongoing winter session of the legislature will focus on the burning issues in the state, mainly the farmers, he said, and urged the opposition to join the government to pressurise the Centre over crop procurement and regional development. "We don't know why the Centre is not cooperating with us to resolve the matter. We don't know why it is not releasing funds to procure crops under Minimum Support Price (MSP)," Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, told reporters here. The winter session of the Karnataka Legislature is in progress in Belagavi. The BJP has decided to stage a protest on Tuesday against the injustice to the farmers. Reiterating that the session must meaningfully address these concerns, he said, "It is our wish that the Centre should release funds for the welfare of Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions

IndiGo crisis: DK Shivakumar urges govt to act fast, restore normalcy

With large scale flight cancellations by Indigo airlines leaving passengers stranded, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday urged the Centre to act immediately and bring the situation under control. He called the IndiGo fiasco a the direct result of the govt's monopoly model. Taking to social media platform 'X', Shivakumar said India is witnessing the worst aviation meltdown in its history. "Thousands of flights cancelled - leaving our people stranded everywhere". "The IndiGo fiasco is the direct result of the govt's monopoly model. And as always, it is ordinary Indians who are paying the price," he said. Shivakumar said that the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, which is India's 3rd busiest airport with nearly 40 million travellers a year, is in complete chaos. "This is hurting families, businesses and our national reputation. I urge the Union Government to act immediately and bring this situation under control. Our people deserve better," he ...