In 2023, when Congress swept Karnataka, a secret deal was struck — Siddaramaiah first, then Shivakumar. On June 3, 2026, with Rahul Gandhi watching from the front row, that deal was finally honoured.
25th Karnataka CM | 13 Ministers Sworn In | 3 Years of Waiting
Some political moments are surprises. This one was not. Everybody in Karnataka politics — and most of India’s political class — knew this day was coming. The only question was when. On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan, Bengaluru, the when finally arrived.
D K Shivakumar, 64, was sworn in as Karnataka’s 25th Chief Minister. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Vokkaliga leader at a ceremony at Lok Bhavan. Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and a galaxy of Congress leaders watched from the front rows. And after three years of waiting, the most patient man in Karnataka politics finally got what he had been promised.
The deal that shaped three years of Karnataka politics
To understand why Wednesday mattered so much, you need to go back to May 2023. When Congress swept the Karnataka Assembly elections, the party faced an immediate dilemma: both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar wanted the top job. Both had legitimate claims. Both had formidable support.
The arrangement is reported to have been reached in May 2023 when the party returned to power — Siddaramaiah first, for two-and-a-half years, then Shivakumar. The leadership transition followed months of differences between the two, which continued for about eight months before intervention by the central leadership.
Siddaramaiah resigned as Chief Minister, clearing the way for Shivakumar to take over. He resigned following months of intense speculation over a leadership change. Siddaramaiah, by most accounts, was not eager to leave. But the Congress high command held firm.
The man who waited — and who he is
The story of DK Shivakumar is, in many ways, the story of Congress in South India. When the party needed someone to hold Karnataka during its wilderness years in opposition, it was Shivakumar who held it. He has been arrested, investigated, undermined and asked to wait. And through all of it, he waited.
Holding a copy of the Constitution, Shivakumar took the oath in the name of his revered seer, Gangadhar Ajja. It was a moment that said everything about who he is — a man rooted in faith and democratic accountability, both at once.
A ceremony designed to send a message
The ceremony was reportedly low-key due to concerns over peak-hour traffic disruption in Bengaluru caused by the anticipated influx of Congress workers and supporters from across the state. The swearing-in was earlier planned to be held on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha in front of a large gathering.
But the guest list told a different story. The ceremony was attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, among others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Shivakumar and said the Centre will work closely with the state government for the welfare of the people.
What Shivakumar inherits
The new Congress government in Karnataka led by DK Shivakumar will have 14 ministers in the Cabinet, including his predecessor Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra. G Parameshwara took oath as a Cabinet minister with Deputy Chief Minister rank.
Karnataka under Siddaramaiah was a state of significant welfare ambition — guarantee schemes that delivered real benefits but placed significant strain on state finances. Shivakumar inherits both the political capital those schemes generated and the fiscal pressure they created.
Karnataka turned a page
On Wednesday evening, there was just a man, a Constitution, a seer’s name spoken aloud, and a chair that had been waiting three years for the right person to sit in it. D K Shivakumar sat down. Karnataka turned a page.
