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Amid hectic parleys over formation of the Cabinet ahead of swearing in ceremony of the newly elected Congress Legislature Party leader D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday, All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that the Cabinet formation will be done in phases.
Meanwhile, the deliberations on Government formation are expected to shift to Delhi on Monday with both Mr. Shivakumar and outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expected make their choices known to the Congress central leadership on Monday.
Stating that the government formation might not happen in a single stroke, the Congress president told presspersons in Kalburagi: “Plan is to induct ministers in a phased manner, completing one stage now, and then perhaps taking a gap of 15 days to a month before finalising the next batch of ministers. This is the thought process for now.”
He clarified that since no formal proposal has reached the Congress high command specifying whether 8 or 10 ministers will be sworn in initially, they were also waiting. Mr. Kharge stated that a clarity will emerge by Wednesday.
He said that the central leadership had not received any proposal officially yet. “Decisions will be made regarding how many ministers need to be inducted, how many Deputy Chief Ministers are required, or whether the appointments of chairmpersons to crucial State corporations should happen simultaneously will be decided after a concrete proposal,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shivakumar and Mr. Siddaramaiah, according to multiple sources, will be carrying their list of choices for the Cabinet berths during their visit to Delhi on Monday. The high command is also likely to intervene on behalf of some legislators to provide a finality to the list, sources said. “Though much is being speculated about the size and composition of the Cabinet or on Deputy Chief Ministers or KPCC president, nothing will be certain unless cleared by the central leadership,” sources said.
Mr. Shivakumar also told presspersons here on Sunday that the party high command will be taking a call on the contours of Cabinet formation.
A day after Mr. Shivakumar was unanimously elected as the leader of Congress Legislature Party, his residence on Sunday saw a steady stream of Congress legislators and leaders arriving to wish the leader.. Nearly a dozen ministers in the Cabinet of Outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the Sadashivanagar residence to wish him, sources said. “Not only the legislators wished him, but also subtly provided indications of their interest to remain in his Cabinet,” said sources close to Mr. Shivakumar.
Among Ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet who met the CLP leader included Dinesh Gundurao, Madhu Bangarappa, H.K. Patil, Santhosh Lad and Mankal Vaidya and others.
Some senior leaders, who had not made the Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet, such as B..R. Patil, Tanveer Sait and Vijayanand Kashappanavar, also met Mr. Shivakumar seeking an opportunity as the government is left with little less than two years.
The new CLP leader also visited the premises of old Congress Bhavan on Race Course Road for an inspection ahead of foundation stone laying ceremony for a new building on June 3 in which Congress president Mallikarjun M. Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Rahul Gandhi are likely to take part.
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