<p>A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is scheduled on Saturday to elect Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar as its leader even as intense lobbying is underway by lawmakers who want to join the new Cabinet. </p><p>All lawmakers have been asked to attend the CLP meeting at 4 pm in Vidhana Soudha’s conference hall, which will be overseen by Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. </p>.CM-designate D K Shivakumar may have to navigate fiscal, political minefield.<p>It is believed that caretaker Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself will propose Shivakumar as the new CLP leader. Or, a one-line resolution authorising the Congress high command to choose the next CLP leader may be passed. </p><p>Shivakumar is likely to take oath as the chief minister on Sunday or Monday, senior Congress lawmaker H K Patil said. </p><p>Earlier in the day, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted Siddaramaiah’s resignation and asked him to continue in office until the new government takes charge. </p><p>During the day, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar held meetings with top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Venugopal in New Delhi on the formation of the next Cabinet. </p>.Siddaramaiah to discuss loyalists’ cabinet berths only after Congress Legislative Party meet .<p>Siddaramaiah introduced his son Dr Yathindra, an MLC, to Rahul and pushed for his inclusion in the new government. Siddaramaiah also met Kharge. The Congress top brass is wary of antagonising Siddaramaiah, who wants his loyalists to find space in the new government. </p><p>The buzz in Delhi is that Rahul wants a full-fledged Cabinet to take oath along with Shivakumar. However, it is possible that 8-10 ministers will be sworn in in the first batch. It is also said that the Congress high command wants to have a bigger say in the way Cabinet berths are dished out.</p>
<p>A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is scheduled on Saturday to elect Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar as its leader even as intense lobbying is underway by lawmakers who want to join the new Cabinet. </p><p>All lawmakers have been asked to attend the CLP meeting at 4 pm in Vidhana Soudha’s conference hall, which will be overseen by Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. </p>.CM-designate D K Shivakumar may have to navigate fiscal, political minefield.<p>It is believed that caretaker Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself will propose Shivakumar as the new CLP leader. Or, a one-line resolution authorising the Congress high command to choose the next CLP leader may be passed. </p><p>Shivakumar is likely to take oath as the chief minister on Sunday or Monday, senior Congress lawmaker H K Patil said. </p><p>Earlier in the day, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot accepted Siddaramaiah’s resignation and asked him to continue in office until the new government takes charge. </p><p>During the day, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar held meetings with top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Venugopal in New Delhi on the formation of the next Cabinet. </p>.Siddaramaiah to discuss loyalists’ cabinet berths only after Congress Legislative Party meet .<p>Siddaramaiah introduced his son Dr Yathindra, an MLC, to Rahul and pushed for his inclusion in the new government. Siddaramaiah also met Kharge. The Congress top brass is wary of antagonising Siddaramaiah, who wants his loyalists to find space in the new government. </p><p>The buzz in Delhi is that Rahul wants a full-fledged Cabinet to take oath along with Shivakumar. However, it is possible that 8-10 ministers will be sworn in in the first batch. It is also said that the Congress high command wants to have a bigger say in the way Cabinet berths are dished out.</p>
