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DK Shivakumar bows on Karnataka Vidhan Soudha steps as a sign of respect | VIDEO
Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar will continue as the party's state unit chief till the end of next year's parliamentary elections.
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar reached Vidhana Soudha for their first cabinet meeting shortly after the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday. Shivakumar, who was one of the main architects of Congress' emphatic win in the southern state, bowed in front of the legislative building with his forehead touching the steps as a sign of respect. Before entering the building, he also showed a thumbs-up and victory sign to the media.
Siddaramaiah was sworn in as chief minister for the second term, along with state Congress president D K Shivakumar as deputy CM, and eight MLAs as ministers at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, exactly a week after the party swept the Assembly polls in Karnataka.
The Legislators who were sworn in as ministers are: G Parameshwara, K H Muniyappa, K J George, M B Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge (AICC President M Mallikarjun Kharge's son), Ramalinga Reddy, and B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan.
After taking the oath as Karnataka deputy CM, Shivakumar tweeted, “As I embark on a new journey to fulfill the aspirations of our people, I promise that Congress Govt will guarantee sustained progress and welfare of all.”
“I thank the people of Karnataka for their overwhelming support and love.”
The swearing-in ceremony turned into a show of strength for opposition parties as several regional satraps shared the stage with Congress president Malligarjun Kharge and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah attended the swearing-in ceremony. The PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states –Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) and Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh)–, and Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav (RJD) were also present.
