DK Shivakumar to announce eight populist schemes after Karnataka CM oath

DK Shivakumar is expected to announce eight populist schemes, particularly focused on farmers and women, soon after taking oath as chief minister Wednesday afternoon.

BENGALURU: DK Shivakumar is expected to announce eight populist schemes, particularly focused on farmers and women, soon after taking oath as chief minister Wednesday afternoon. This is seen as an early effort to shape governance agenda and define the policy direction of his govt. Shivakumar, 64, will take oath as chief minister of Karnataka at 4.10pm at glass house in Lok Bhavan, marking the formal transition of leadership within the Congress govt. He was elected leader of Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka on May 30. Around 15 ministers are expected to be sworn in in the first phase of cabinet formation, while the remaining are likely after the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections. Meanwhile, Congress is understood to have decided to nominate Mallikarjuna Kharge and Mansoor Ali Khan for its Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka. For the third seat from the state, the party is considering national leaders — either Supriya Shrinate or Pawan Khera — sources said. Party functionaries said the DKS’s proposed initiatives are structured around agricultural distress, rural incomes and productivity, and are likely to emerge as flagship programmes of the Shivakumar-led administration. The move is seen as drawing a parallel with outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah’s rollout of Anna Bhagya scheme in 2013, when he first assumed office, which was later expanded into a set of welfare measures known as the ‘Bhagyas’.

Open-jeep procession after oath?

The final contours of the schemes are yet to be firmed up. Functionaries privy to discussions said financial implications will be reviewed since state govt is already implementing five guarantee schemes. A cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha is expected to clear the schemes, and Shivakumar may make a formal announcement. Though the swearing-in event was initially planned as a low-key affair due to concerns over traffic disruption, it has now drawn a large mobilisation of supporters. Party workers from across the state, particularly from Old Mysuru region, are expected to attend in large numbers. Officials estimate that bookings have been made for more than 17,000 vehicles to reach Bengaluru for the ceremony. Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Siddaramaiah are expected to attend the event. Shivakumar has invited representatives from multiple faiths, signalling an emphasis on inclusivity and communal harmony. After the oath, he is planning an open-jeep procession from Lok Bhavan to Vidhana Soudha, with the stretch placed under tight security. Police have ordered a complete halt to traffic movement along the route during the procession to ensure crowd control and convoy safety.