D K Shivakumar Sworn in as Karnataka's 25th Chief Minister

Bengaluru: D K Shivakumar was sworn in as Karnataka's 25th Chief Minister on Wednesday, June 3, ending weeks of political uncertainty and intense negotiations within the Congress high command. G Parameshwara took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot administered the oath of office to Shivakumar at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru, with the new Chief Minister holding a pocket edition of the Indian Constitution during the ceremony.

The swearing-in follows a prolonged and bitter tussle between Shivakumar and outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the top post. Siddaramaiah eventually stepped aside after sustained persuasion by the party leadership, and at the subsequent Congress Legislature Party meeting, it was Siddaramaiah himself who proposed Shivakumar's name — which was adopted unanimously.

The ceremony brought together prominent Congress leaders on a single platform. Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and AICC Organisation General Secretary K C Venugopal attended the event. Chief Ministers V D Satheesan of Kerala, Revanth Reddy of Telangana, and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh were also present, along with the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court and representatives of various social and community organisations.

An eight-time MLA, Shivakumar hails from the Vokkaliga community, a decisive vote bank in Karnataka politics.