(file picture)DK Shivakumar

Even as preparations gather pace for D K Shivakumar’s swearing-in as Karnataka Chief Minister on Wednesday, intense lobbying continues within the Congress over Cabinet berths. Around 20-25 ministers are expected to be inducted in the first phase, while the party high command is likely to keep three to four positions vacant to accommodate future political adjustments and manage potential dissension.

Karnataka can have a maximum 35-member Council of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, under the Constitution’s 15 per cent cap on Cabinet size.

Political analyst Harish Ramaswamy observed that filling all 34 Cabinet berths on day one remains highly unlikely. Instead, the leadership will “always keep around 10 berths vacant” to enable the “troubleshooting” for a later date, to manage persistent dissidents. Managing these internal dynamics requires a delicate “balancing act” that relies on “a blend of old and new.”

Moving away from the previous “social justice kind of thinking,” the incoming administration will likely “depend on the central high command” while carefully maintaining “minority representation” and “backward community representation.” To secure future electoral gains, the government is also expected to bring structural “changes in the face of ministries, giving some stress to Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions, along with priotising younger faces.

Incoming government

Speaking to businessline, a BJP spokesperson expressed disappointment over the incoming government, saying the party had little expectation from the new Cabinet. The spokesperson also criticised Shivakumar, stating that “he has always been more concerned about becoming the Chief Minister than fulfilling his responsibilities. Therefore, we would not expect anything good from him.”

The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place at Lokbhavan on June 3, 2026, between 4 pm and 5 pm, at a time reportedly suggested by Shivakumar’s astrologer. Congress leader H C Balakrishna has confirmed the presence of all Chief Ministers from Congress-ruled states, along with senior national leaders of the party.

Invitees to the swearing-in ceremony include Mallikarjun Kharge, President of the Indian National Congress; Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha; K C Venugopal, General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC); and Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC General Secretary. Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from other states, State Congress presidents, Members of Parliament, religious leaders from various faiths, and students from government schools in Kanakapura and Doddalahalli have also been invited, among others.

(The writer is an intern with businessline)

Published on June 2, 2026