D K Shivakumar elected Cong Legislature Party leader, set to be new Karnataka CM

Public Lokpal
May 30, 2026

BENGALURU: 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.

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 ten-minute break, and top leaders including Siddaramaiah, Venugopal and Surjewala, huddled in a separate room, according to sources.

Announcing Shivakumar's election as CLP leader, Karnataka Congress said in a statement that Siddaramaiah proposed Shivakumar's name for the top position, G Parameshwara seconded the proposal, and the meeting unanimously endorsed it. Party general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal announced Shivakumar's election as the new CLP leader.

Earlier, at the beginning of the meeting, Surjewala, announced that the process of electing the new CLP leader would proceed based on a proposal from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and formally initiated the proceedings, the statement said.

Subsequently, Siddaramaiah moved a one-line resolution and Parameshwara seconded it and all the legislators supported it. Later, Surjewala announced a 10-minute break, and he along with Siddaramaiah and Venugopal, proceeded to the Chief Minister's chamber. After the three leaders returned to the conference hall, where the legislators had assembled, the process of electing the new leader was declared completed.

Subsequently, the newly elected CLP leader, Shivakumar, moved a resolution praising the services rendered by outgoing leader Siddaramaiah during his tenure as Chief Minister and sought the meeting's support, the statement said, adding that, the resolution was unanimously approved.

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 Ministers.

PTI