Bengaluru, Jun 3 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the list of ministers to be inducted into the new cabinet would be finalised by this afternoon, hours before the swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru.
Speaking amid intense consultations within the Congress leadership, Shivakumar said discussions were underway with the party high command and a final decision on the composition of the Council of Ministers was expected later in the day.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan, where Shivakumar will take oath as Karnataka's Chief Minister. Preparations for the event are in full swing, with several senior Congress leaders and dignitaries expected to attend it.
According to party sources, the Congress leadership has been engaged in discussions to ensure regional, caste and factional balance in the new cabinet. The final list is being worked out after consultations involving senior leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and other party functionaries.
Sources indicated that around 10 to 12 ministers may take oath along with Shivakumar in the first phase, while the remaining cabinet berths could be filled after upcoming elections to Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council seats later this month.
The announcement has generated considerable interest among Congress legislators, many of whom have been lobbying for ministerial positions as the party prepares for a transition in leadership following the end of Siddaramaiah's tenure as Chief Minister.
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