Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar in Delhi to invite leaders for swearing-in ceremony, discuss cabinet

New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister designate Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister designate D.K. Shivakumar on Friday arrived in the national capital and are scheduled to meet and invite senior party leaders for the swearing-in ceremony scheduled on Saturday.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar both arrived in the national capital on Friday afternoon.

Siddaramaiah, who is the LoP in the outgoing Assembly went to a hotel, while Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar went to his brother and party MP D.K. Suresh's residence.

Speaking to the media, Shivakumar said, "Have come here to invite all the senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and others. They all have given their sweat and proper directions. And I wanted to invite them personally."

He said later we will discuss the cabinet formation.

When asked about who all have been invited for the swearing-in ceremony, Shivakumar said, "We have asked Khargeji to take care of that."

He also said, "Five guarantees were made by the Congress and I want the guarantees to be announced for the people by the party President Kharge and former President's Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi came and gave the guarantees, even Priyanka Gandhi came and gave 'Gruha Lakshmi' guarantee and others. So I want to ensure that all guarantees are cleared in the first cabinet."

Both of them are scheduled to meet Kharge later in the day to discuss the new state cabinet and also invite him for the swearing-in ceremony. Both the leaders will also meet former party chief Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to invite them for the ceremony.

Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who is in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla is likely to miss the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday, the party sources indicated here.

On Thursday, both the leaders returned to Bengaluru after the Congress ended suspense on the chief ministerial post, following a series of meetings for the top post in the last three days.

After announcement by party, both the leaders returned to Bengaluru and held the CLP meeting and also met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to stake claim to form the government.

The Congress won 135 out of 224 seats, and the ruling BJP was reduced to 66 seats while the JD(S) could manage to win only 19 seats in the state.