HD Kumaraswamy leader of the JD(S) legislature party and the Congress-JD(S) combine, took oath in Bengaluru’s Vidhan Soudha as the Karnataka Chief Minister amid a massive show of opposition unity today on 23rd May 2018. With this, Karnataka saw a second Chief Minister sworn-in within a span of seven days. The Congress’ G Parameshwara took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, administered by Governor Vajubhai Bala. The swearing-in ceremony was witnessed by a galaxy of leaders from the opposition parties.
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and others, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Kumaraswamy.
CPI(M) powerhouse Sitaram Yechury, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and NCP leader Sharad Pawar shared a dais during the oath-taking ceremony.
Tamil Nadu’s Leader of Opposition MK Stalin was also expected to attend the ceremony, but he cancelled in the wake of unrest and loss of lives in police firing in Thoothukudi at anti-Sterlite protesters.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was also expected to be present had visited the Gowdas on Tuesday.
HD Kumaraswamy, 58, was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the second time. Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister for 20 months in the JD(S)-BJP coalition government during 2006-07.
HD Kumaraswamy entered electoral politics by contesting the Kanakapura Lok Sabha seat in 1996 and won. Kumaraswamy subsequently lost both parliamentary and assembly elections. He got elected to the assembly for the first time in 2004, when the JD(S) joined the coalition government headed by Congress’s Dharm Singh after the elections threw up a hung House.
HD Kumaraswamy will visit Dharmashala and Sringeri tomorrow to seek the blessings of Lord Manjunath, Sringeri Sharada Devi.
Kumaraswamy will face floor test on Thursday. The Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly will be named on Thursday and the names of the Cabinet ministers and their portfolios will also be announced after the floor test.