The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is scheduled to meet in Bengaluru on Saturday evening to elect its new leader, opening the way for Karnataka to get a new chief minister.
DK Shivakumar, who served as deputy chief minister under Siddaramaiah, is widely expected to be chosen as the next CLP leader. The meeting comes after Siddaramaiah’s resignation as chief minister was accepted and the council of ministers was dissolved by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday.
AICC General Secretary #KCVenugopal and Congress’s Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh #Surjewala, #Karnataka caretaker Chief Minister #Siddaramaiah and other #CLP leaders arrived at the Vidhana Soudha, where the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting is… pic.twitter.com/KYP3EEgGp0
— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) May 30, 2026
CLP meeting and leadership selection
All lawmakers have been asked to attend the meeting at 4 pm in the Vidhana Soudha conference hall, where the proceedings will be overseen by AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Siddaramaiah himself may propose Shivakumar as the new CLP leader. Another possibility being discussed is a one-line resolution authorizing the Congress high command to decide the next leader.
#WATCH | Bengaluru: On Karnataka Congress CLP meeting, former Minister HK Patil says, “… We are going to elect the new leader of the legislature party, and immediately after that we will take it to the governor, and he will call the leader to form the government…” pic.twitter.com/Di6ey2yVjq
— ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2026
Cabinet formation and Delhi consultations
The transition has triggered active lobbying in Delhi, where ministerial aspirants have been meeting party leaders ahead of the cabinet reshuffle.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar both held discussions with the Congress leadership on Friday about the shape of the new ministry and the handover process. Party sources said the new cabinet is likely to include a mix of old and new faces, with representation, caste equations, regional balance, and Siddaramaiah loyalists all expected to factor into the final line-up.
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Several chairs, fewer certainties
Speculation is also growing over the possibility of multiple deputy chief ministers, while several members of Siddaramaiah’s cabinet may not be retained.
Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC Yathindra accompanied him to Delhi, fuelling talk of a possible cabinet role.
Discussions are also under way on the next Karnataka Congress president, a post currently held by Shivakumar, with senior MLA and former minister Satish Jarkiholi said to be the frontrunner.
The swearing-in of the new chief minister is likely on Sunday or Monday and may be held on the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, according to official sources cited by PTI.
