Karnataka power transition | D K Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah in Delhi for Cabinet talks with Congress top brass

Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar and senior leader Siddaramaiah arrived in New Delhi to hold discussions with the Congress high command over the composition of the new Karnataka cabinet on Monday.

Shivakumar replaces Siddaramaiah after being formally elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka on Saturday. He is scheduled to be sworn in as the chief minister on June 3, alongside select members of his council at 4:05 PM on Wednesday.

Shivakumar, who checked into Karnataka Bhawan in Delhi, told reporters, "We have to decide," a referencing to the council of ministers.

Earlier on Sunday, on the number of ministers to be sworn in alongside him, he said "I don't know. Whatever the party high command decides will be done. I don't want to comment on that."

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge maintained that no formal announcement or proposal on the ministry's composition has been received yet.

Siddaramaiah's son and Congress MLC Yathindra, after meeting Shivakumar, expressed confidence about a cabinet berth, saying the party high command assured him of a ministerial position.

The Delhi talks are also anticipated to address the question of who succeeds the CM-designate as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President.

Senior MLA Satish Jarkiholi is expected to be a frontrunner for the position, though he is reportedly seeking a cabinet position along with the organisational post.

With Karnataka's council of ministers capped at 34, with the inclusion of the chief minister, and a swelling pool of aspirants competing for limited berths, Shivakumar faces one of his first and most consequential challenges as CM-designate.

Aspirants have reached the national capital in numbers, with former legislators and ministers seeking audiences with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to assert their claims.

PTI reported, quoting party sources, that they indicate the new cabinet is likely to be a blend of familiar faces and fresh entrants, as careful attention is being paid to caste arithmetic, regional balance and loyalty equations -- particularly towards the Siddaramaiah camp.

Speculation is rife that that several ministers from the outgoing Siddaramaiah cabinet may not be retained and that the new government could have numerous deputy chief ministers.

The Congress leadership is additionally expected to finalise candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections scheduled for June 18. With its current Assembly strength, the ruling party is projected to win three of the four Rajya Sabha seats and five of the seven MLC seats up for grabs.

(with PTI inputs)