D K Shivakumar took oath as Karnataka Chief Minister on Wednesday afternoon at 4:15 PM at the glass house in Lok Bhavan, marking the formal transition of leadership within the Congress government. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shivakumar, with 13 other party legislators expected to be sworn in as ministers in the first phase of cabinet formation. According to reports, Shivakumar chaired his first cabinet meeting soon after taking oath, where he announced several populist welfare initiatives. The 64-year-old Vokkaliga strongman, who had served as Deputy Chief Minister under Siddaramaiah, had been elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party on May 30 following Siddaramaiah's resignation on May 28. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by senior Congress leaders, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, alongside chief ministers from several Congress-ruled states.
In his first interaction with the media after taking office, Shivakumar announced a major welfare measure aimed at students across Karnataka. The government will provide free bus passes to all school and college students, expanding transport benefits beyond existing schemes that primarily focused on female students. Explaining the rationale behind the decision, Shivakumar said, "This is the youth era. Students were asking why there is a free bus just for girls. We are giving passes to all students - a free bus pass without any charge. A bus pass is free for all school and college students. This is the first decision by the DK Shivakumar cabinet. Students have to apply for this, will discuss this with the Transport Department." The announcement signals the new government's intention to prioritise youth-focused policies from the outset. Additionally, Shivakumar appealed to unemployed youth to register with the government, with the administration planning to coordinate with private companies and employers to facilitate job opportunities for job seekers.
Among the key announcements made by the new Chief Minister were 10,000 Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas to raise leadership quality and build social harmony, as reported by various sources. The cabinet formation includes 11 of the 13 ministers who were part of the previous Siddaramaiah government, with only Yathindra Siddaramaiah and U T Khader being new faces in the cabinet. Notably, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was among the notable inductees, with his inclusion attracting attention as the new government began taking shape. Speaking after his induction, Yathindra Siddaramaiah said, "I have not been part of my father's government, so I don't know what differences will be there, but I am sure whatever the good work the previous government has done will continue it and will give a very honest and effective government to the people of Karnataka." The new administration has also strengthened the Chief Minister's Secretariat by appointing 1993-batch IAS officer Tushar Giri Nath as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, as part of broader administrative restructuring.
The cabinet maintains balanced caste representation with three ministers each from Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities, and an equal number of Dalit ministers. According to reports, there are two ministers from the Kuruba community, to which Siddaramaiah belongs, along with one each from ST, Christian and Muslim communities. District-wise representation shows four ministers from Bengaluru Urban, two from Kalaburagi, and one each from other districts including Bengaluru South, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Vijayapura, Bidar, Dakshina Kannada, Belagavi, and Mysuru. Notably, no women representatives were included in the first phase of cabinet formation.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah extended his best wishes to his successor and the newly sworn-in ministers, saying, "Over the past three years, I take great personal satisfaction in the honest efforts made to transform Karnataka into a land of peace, prosperity, and harmony, and to ensure justice, freedom, and security for every individual in the state. We have built a new model of development for Karnataka by implementing social justice alongside development programs that include guarantee schemes." Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Shivakumar and assured cooperation from the Union government. As reported by party sources, more legislators are likely to be inducted in the days to come, with Karnataka having a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the chief minister. A Congress leader indicated that while the current cabinet may appear to reflect Siddaramaiah's influence, this could mean many fresh faces may be inducted in the next phase of cabinet formation.
