Karnataka CM-designate DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah meet Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to finalise Cabinet blueprint

New Delhi: Karnataka’s political transition gathered momentum on Tuesday as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi held a key meeting with Karnataka CM-designate D. K. Shivakumar and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah in New Delhi.

The meeting at the party headquarters comes on the heels of Siddaramaiah's resignation as Chief Minister, which officially set in motion the scheduled leadership transition, allowing Shivakumar to lead the state government.

Karnataka Cabinet cards kept close as no proposal received yet from CM-designate DK Shivakumar: Kharge

Focus on Cabinet Formation

According to party sources, the high-level discussions focused on finalising the structure of the new Karnataka Cabinet, allocation of ministerial portfolios and the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. Organisational appointments within the Karnataka Congress unit were also discussed during the meeting.

Karnataka’s leadership transition gathers pace as CM-designate DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge hold crucial talks in Delhi over Cabinet formation and Rajya Sabha picks ahead of June 3 swearing-in. #Karnataka #DKShivakumar #Congress #Siddaramaiah…

— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) June 2, 2026

The Congress leadership is also understood to have deliberated on candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Swearing-In Ceremony on June 3

Earlier in the day, Shivakumar arrived in Delhi for consultations with the party high command ahead of his swearing-in ceremony scheduled at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru on June 3 at 4 pm.

DK Shivakumar elected CLP leader; Set to take oath as Karnataka CM on 3 June

Several senior Congress leaders, including general secretary K. C. Venugopal, were part of the discussions at Kharge’s residence. Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress MLA Priyank Kharge also met the Congress president amid speculation regarding his possible role in the new government.

Congress Finalising New Power Structure

The leadership transition in Karnataka marks a significant political development for the Congress as the party works to finalise the balance of power within the state unit after Siddaramaiah’s exit.

The final list of ministers and key appointments is expected to be announced following the conclusion of the ongoing consultations in Delhi.