On Wednesday I noticed something was not the same in Bengaluru. The night people had put up Congress flags all along the roads near Vidhana Soudha. They had even put up banners with D.K. Shivakumar’s face on them. There were LED screens at almost every street corner so people could watch what was going on inside Vidhana Soudha. It felt like the whole city of Bengaluru knew that Congress was going to do something on this day, and this day was a big time coming for Congress and DK Shivakumar.
At 4:05 in the evening, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot gave DK Shivakumar the oath of office at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan. DK Shivakumar is now the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He is a 64-year-old man from Kanakapura. DK Shivakumar became the Chief Minister of Karnataka. When DK Shivakumar took the oath, he was holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand. DK Shivakumar did this on his own. Nobody asked him to hold the Constitution. He just did it.
This was a clear message. The DK Shivakumar government stands by the Constitution.
This Moment Was a Time Coming
DK Shivakumar has been in politics for over 40 years. He has worked for the Congress party through its times. He managed crises, saved seats, and moved MLAs across state lines to stop them from switching sides. He did the work that no one else wanted to do. And every time there was talk of him becoming Chief Minister, something got in the way.
When Congress won the Karnataka elections in 2023 with 135 seats, the party had a problem. Two big leaders, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, both wanted the job. The party gave it to Siddaramaiah. DK Shivakumar became Deputy CM.
At the time people said there was a deal. Siddaramaiah would serve for part of the term and then hand over to DK Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah denied any deal ever existed. DK Shivakumar stayed quiet. Kept saying he trusts the Congress party.
For the two and a half years the question never went away. Religious leaders from the Vokkaliga community kept pushing for DK Shivakumar. Influential seers gave speeches at events asking Siddaramaiah to step aside. One seer said it plainly in front of both men sitting on stage. “Everyone else has been CM; only DK Shivakumar hasn’t.”
It was uncomfortable. Dk Shivakumar kept his head down.
Then on May 28, 2026, Siddaramaiah resigned. Two days later, on May 30, Congress MLAs unanimously chose DK Shivakumar as their leader. June 3 was set for the swearing-in.
Who Is DK Shivakumar?
DK Shivakumar was born on May 15, 1962, in Ramanagara district. He got into student politics while studying at a college in Bengaluru. He joined the Youth Congress. Quickly became its state general secretary. He was in his twenties when he first contested an election.
DK Shivakumar has won eight elections in a row. For a time from 1989 to 2008, he represented Sathanur. Since 2008 he has held the Kanakapura seat. Has never lost it. In 2023 he beat the BJP’s R. Ashok, who’s now the leader of the opposition, in Karnataka.
DK Shivakumar has been a minister many times. He handled water resources, Bengaluru development, and town planning. He became Karnataka Congress president in 2020. Spent three years building the Congress party before the 2023 win. DK Shivakumar worked hard to make the Congress party strong. He built the party. Dk Shivakumar is a strong leader.
He is also, according to election declarations, the MLA in the state.
His career has not been without trouble. In 2019 the Enforcement Directorate arrested him in a money laundering case. He spent more than a month in Tihar Jail. Most politicians would have been finished. DK Shivakumar came back stronger. His legal cases are still going on. He sits in the Chief Minister’s chair today regardless.
Kanakapura Was in a Mood to Celebrate
The Congress party had asked supporters not to crowd around Lok Bhavan on the day of the ceremony. In Kanakapura nobody paid attention to that request. The town went into celebration mode. DK Shivakumar is one of their own. He has represented them for two decades. For people, this was personal.
Inside the Glass House, everything was very formal. The president of Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, came from Delhi for this ceremony. Rahul Gandhi, who is the leader of the opposition in Parliament, was also there. The party general secretary, K.C. Venugopal, attended the ceremony well. In the afternoon, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and party general secretary K.C. Venugopal all walked in together with DK Shivakumar.
Sonia Gandhi did not come in person. Called DK Shivakumar on the phone before the ceremony. He told reporters about that call. “She has trusted me since the beginning. She asked me to bring everyone. “I promised her I will,” he said. He repeated the word “together” more than once that day. That was not by accident.
The Ceremony and the New Cabinet
When DK Shivakumar walked up to take his oath, he carried the Constitution. He did not put it down. He held it through the thing. People noticed.
Dr. G. Parameshwara became the Deputy Chief Minister. He is a leader from the Dalit community. Was briefly Karnataka’s chief minister before. His appointment shows that the Congress party is thinking about caste representation. This is very important in Karnataka politics.
Twelve ministers were sworn in along with him. The list includes:
1. K.H. Muniyappa
2. K.J. George
3. M.B. Patil
4. Ramalinga Reddy
5. Sathish Jarakiholi
6. Krishna Byregowda
7. Priyank Kharge
8. U.T. Khader
9. Eshwar Khandre
10. Byrathi Suresh
11. Sharan Prakash Patil
Most of these ministers worked under Siddaramaiah before. The idea was to show that this is not a change, just a handover.
Two names got a lot of attention. Priyank Kharge is the son of Mallikarjun Kharge, who’s the Congress president. Yathindra Siddaramaiah is the son of the Chief Minister. Both of them are now in the cabinet. By including Yathindra, the message was clear: we are not pushing the Siddaramaiah side of the Congress party away.
What People Said About It
Prime Minister Narendra Modi put up a message to say congratulations on X. He said that the government in the center will work with the Karnataka government to help the people. The message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very polite.
Rahul Gandhi said that the people of Karnataka have chosen to believe in the Congress party, and now it is the Congress party’s responsibility to take care of that trust. Rahul Gandhi congratulated DK Shivakumar and the entire cabinet of the Karnataka government.
Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, who attended the event, put it directly. “Siddaramaiah showed heartedness. The power transfer went well. DK Shivakumar will keep the Congress party in power too,” he said.
From the Siddaramaiah camp there was acceptance. Publicly they said the things. How things look six months from now when cabinet decisions need to be made and factions start pulling in directions will be the real test.
After the Ceremony
After DK Shivakumar got sworn in, he went to Vidhana Soudha. He stopped for a moment before going in. During this time, he placed flowers at the statue of Kempe Gowda. Kempe Gowda is the person who founded Bengaluru. DK Shivakumar did this because Kempe Gowda is also an important person for the Vokkaliga community. This was an act, but it had a clear meaning. DK Shivakumar did something, but it said a lot about what he thinks of Kempe Gowda and the city of Bengaluru.
He was now the chief minister. He had entered the building as an MLA and a Deputy CM many times before. This time it was different.
What He Has to Deal With Now
Being Chief Minister is not the finish line. For DK Shivakumar the hard part starts now.
Karnataka is running five welfare programs that the Congress party promised before the 2023 elections. Anna Bhagya gives rice to families. Gruha Jyothi covers electricity bills. Shakti lets women travel free on buses. Gruha Lakshmi gives women a cash payment. Yuva Nidhi supports young people. These schemes cost a lot of money. Keeping them going while also spending on roads, hospitals, and schools is going to be a balancing act.
Bengaluru itself is a headache. The roads are bad. Traffic is a nightmare for millions. The metro is. Slowly. Water supply in parts of the city is still unreliable. DK Shivakumar handled the Bengaluru Development portfolio earlier in his career, so he knows the problems well. Whether that translates into fixes. That is the question people in the city are waiting to see answered.
Then there is internal Congress party politics. The Siddaramaiah group is still very much alive inside the Congress legislature party. They have numbers, influence, and a leader who is not going quietly into retirement. DK Shivakumar has to keep them happy, give them enough, and still run the government his way. It is a balance that Karnataka CMs have always struggled with.
Why The Vokkaliga Community Is Watching Closely
The Vokkaliga community makes up 12 to 14 percent of Karnataka’s voters. They are very strong in the Mysuru area. Their religious leaders really supported DK Shivakumar for three years. They said the community chose the Congress party in 2023 because they wanted DK Shivakumar to be in charge. The Vokkaliga community is now watching closely.
Now the community has what it asked for. That also means expectations are high. DK Shivakumar cannot just be a CM who manages the Congress party and survives politically. His community will want to see results. Development in their areas, representation in government, and proof that their votes actually changed something.
He has spent years maintaining his connection with Vokkaliga leaders, attending their events and speaking at their gatherings. He knows he carries that responsibility. How he handles it will shape not his term but the Congress party’s chances in Karnataka’s next elections.
Key Takeaways
- DK Shivakumar became Karnataka’s Chief Minister on June 3, 2026, at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru.
- He is 64 years old, has been an MLA eight times, and has worked for the Congress party for over four decades.
- Siddaramaiah resigned on May 28, 2026. The Congress Legislature Party picked DK Shivakumar on May 30.
- G. Parameshwara was sworn in as Deputy CM. Twelve others joined the cabinet, including the sons of both Siddaramaiah and Kharge.
- DK Shivakumar held the Constitution in his hand during the oath.
- Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge attended in person. PM Modi congratulated via media.
- The big challenges that DK Shivakumar is facing are the cost of welfare schemes, Bengaluru’s infrastructure, and keeping his Congress party united.
FAQs
Who’s DK Shivakumar?
DK Shivakumar is a politician from the Congress party in Karnataka. He was born in 1962. He has won eight elections. He was the president of the Karnataka Congress party from 2020. He became the Chief Minister in June 2026. DK Shivakumar is known for helping the party in times. He is the MLA in Karnataka.
Why did Siddaramaiah step down as Chief Minister?
Siddaramaiah resigned on May 28, 2026. This was after an understanding within the Congress party that Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar would share power. Siddaramaiah said there was no agreement. There was pressure from within the party and from leaders of the Vokkaliga community. So power was handed over to DK Shivakumar.
Who’s in the cabinet of DK Shivakumar?
The new cabinet of DK Shivakumar has Deputy CM G. Parameshwara and twelve ministers. They are:
- K.H. Muniyappa
- K.J. George
- M.B. Patil
- Ramalinga Reddy
- Sathish Jarakiholi
- Krishna Byregowda
- Priyank Kharge
- U.T. Khader
- Eshwar Khandre
- Yathindra Siddaramaiah
- Byrathi Suresh
- Sharan Prakash Patil
Who are the Vokkaligas? Why do they matter to DK Shivakumar and the Congress party?
The Vokkaligas are a community in Karnataka. They mainly live in the Mysuru region. They make up 12 to 14 percent of voters. The Vokkaligas usually support the JD(S) party. They supported the Congress party in 2023 because of DK Shivakumar. They wanted DK Shivakumar to become the Chief Minister.
What problems does DK Shivakumar face as the Chief Minister of Karnataka?
DK Shivakumar faces problems. He needs to manage the cost of five welfare schemes. He has to fix Bengaluru’s roads and water supply. He needs to keep the Siddaramaiah faction of the Congress party happy. He has to prepare the Congress party for the state election.
Where was the swearing-in ceremony of DK Shivakumar held?
The swearing-in ceremony of DK Shivakumar was held at the Glass House in Lok Bhavan, Bengaluru. It was held on June 3, 2026, at 4:05 PM. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot gave DK Shivakumar the oath.
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