Overview
- D K Shivakumar took the oath as Karnataka chief minister on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administering the oath.
- A first batch of 13 ministers was sworn in the same day, including G Parameshwara as deputy chief minister and first-time minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
- Shivakumar and outgoing CM Siddaramaiah held talks in New Delhi with the party leadership, which finalised the initial ministerial list to balance factional, caste and regional considerations.
- Portfolio assignments remain pending and the Congress plans a second phase of cabinet expansion only after the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council polls on June 18, a timing meant to protect nominations and vote arithmetic.
- The phased approach reflects a negotiated power share between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, uses the statutory 34-member cap as a constraint, and could cause internal discontent because several senior figures were omitted from the first list.