Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah to Meet Congress High Command in Delhi 'Cabinet Talks'

Karnataka Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar and outgoing CM Siddaramaiah will leave for New Delhi on Monday to finalise the new cabinet with the Congress high command, party sources said. 

According to their travel itineraries, both leaders are scheduled to land in Delhi in the afternoon, with their return journeys left "open-ended" as high-stakes discussions begin. Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, is scheduled to be sworn-in as the CM along with some Council of Ministers at 4:05 PM on June 3, at the Lok Bhavan premises.

He was



officially elected the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka on Saturday. Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the chief minister. 

With a large number of ministerial aspirants and limited number of berths in hand, Shivakumar has a tight rope to walk, as he risks large-scale disgruntlement by those who will be left out, party sources said. In response to a query on the number of people to take the oath along with him, Shivakumar told reporters on Sunday: "I don't know. Whatever the party high command decides will be done. I don't want to comment on that."