Governor of Karnataka Thaawarchand Gehlot administering the 'Oath of Office and Secrecy' to D.K. Shivakumar at Lok Bhavan yesterday.
D.K. Shivakumar, who took oath as the 25th CM of Karnataka in Bengaluru yesterday, along with Dr. G. Parameshwar as Deputy CM and 12 other Ministers, is seen with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and former CM Siddaramaiah.
Bengaluru, June 4 (UNI)- Karnataka witnessed a major political transition yesterday, with D.K. Shivakumar (DKS) taking oath as the new Chief Minister at Lok Bhavan, marking a significant leadership change in the Congress-led Government.
An eight-time MLA representing Kanakapura in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, Shivakumar, who is now the 25th Chief Minister, was sworn-in along with a 13-member Council of Ministers.
The ceremony was held at the Glass House premises of Lok Bhavan under tight security. Around 3,500 invitees attended the event, with separate seating arrangements for dignitaries, religious leaders and special guests. Multiple LED screens were set up for public viewing.
In a departure from convention, the oath-taking ceremony was conducted facing east, following guidance from spiritual and astrological advisors.
The ceremony saw the presence of senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Chief Ministers from several Congress-ruled States also attended, including Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with senior Ministers and leaders from various States.
More than 40 Swamijis attended the event, reflecting strong participation from religious communities. Film personalities, sportspersons and industrialists were also present, including actor 'Kichcha' Sudeep, actress Ramya, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) President Venkatesh Prasad, former Cricketer Anil Kumble and N.R. Narayan Murthy & Sudha Murty of Infosys.
Shivakumar's family members, including his mother Gowramma, wife Usha and children, were also in attendance.
Along with the Chief Minister, 13 Ministers were sworn-in. The Cabinet includes Dr. G. Parameshwar as Dy.CM, K.H. Muniyappa, K.J. George, M.B. Patil, R. Ramalinga Reddy, Sathish Jarkiholi, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge, U.T. Khader, Eshwar Khandre, Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Byrathi Suresh and Sharan Prakash Patil.
