Karnataka LIVE: Deve Gowda Invites Shiv Sena for Kumaraswamy's Swearing-in, Uddhav Says Busy With Bypolls

"It's the high command which decides all these, they chose me. I thank them immensely but the point is they're also eligible but they gave me this opportunity," says G Parameshwara, Deputy CM designate on being asked about Roshan Baig and DK Shivakumar also being in the race for Deputy CM of Karnataka.

It's the high command which decides all these, they chose me. I thank them immensely but the point is they're also eligible but they gave me this opportunity: G Parameshwara,Dy CM designate on being asked that Roshan Baig & DK Shivakumar were also in the race for Dy CM #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/Rodkld3IfG

— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2018

Security Stepped Up For Kumaraswamy's Swearing-in | As many as 3,000 police personnel have been deployed surrounding the Vidhana Soudha, the venue for the swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday to form JD(S)-Congress coalition government, reports Deccan Chronicle. According to city police commissioner T Suneel Kumar, security has been beefed up across the city to avoid untoward incidents and no protests have been allowed near the Soudha. The Soudha will be guarded by four Deputy Commissioners of police, 20 Assistant Commissioners of police, 150 inspectors, hundreds of constables, 10 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police, 10 platoons of Central Armed Forces. Dog squad, Anti Sabotage Squad and Fire and Emergency Service personnel have been deployed at the venue which is expected to have lakhs of participants. Additional Commissioner of Police (West) BK Singh is the security in-charge.

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— Halasur Traffic PS (@Halasoortraffic) May 23, 2018

Kamal Haasan to Visit Tuticorin Before Landing in Bengaluru | Earlier there were reports that actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has cancelled his Bengaluru trip in the wake of violence at Sterlite protest. However, sources close to him later clarified that he would visit Tuticorin as well as attend HD Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremony, without calling off either of his plans. At least 10 persons, including a 17-year-old girl, were killed in police firing at a massive rally taken out demanding the closure of Sterlite Copper, a Vedanta group copper smelter unit in Thoothukudi in south Tamil Nadu.

After assuming power, the first task for HD Kumaraswamy would be a smooth expansion of his Council of Ministers, as the Congress would want to have a big share in the ministerial pie as it has more than double the number of MLAs the JD(S) has. The Congress has 78 lawmakers in the Lower House against the 37 of the JD(S). A section of Lingayat MLAs of the Congress wanted a person from their community to be the deputy chief minister as Kumaraswamy belongs to another politically influential caste, the Vokkaligas. However, Rahul Gandhi approved the name of Dalit leader G Parameshwara for the post, Venugopal said.
D K Shivakumar, another Vokkaliga leader of the Congress, who emerged as a key figure in keeping the party MLAs together before the trust vote, was also a contender for the deputy chief minister's chair, but the party high-command opted for Parameshwara. The BJP, which is the single largest party with 104 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly (effective strength 221), would not allow Kumaraswamy to have a smooth running. The BJP has dubbed the Congress-JD(S) alliance as "unholy" and claimed that the government will not complete its full term.

There are 221 elected members in the Assembly and the coalition partners have 117 members, including one from the BSP and two Independents. According to The Hindu, the Ministry expansion and allocation of portfolios will be delayed since both parties have decided to take into account factors such as caste, region, experience, service to the party and age, for giving ministerial berths. The Congress-JD(S) have also reached an understanding on the formation of the coordination committee comprising members of both parties to evolve a common minimum programme. While both parties are working hard on maintaining an equilibrium between the two dominant castes, representatives from backward classes are anxious. “With Mr. Siddaramaiah coming from a backward class [kurubas] in the previous government, members from the most backward classes did not get a chance,” a Congress leader said. Since the JD(S) does not have any Muslim MLA, the Congress may nominate one. The Muslim Political Action Committee too has demanded a Deputy Chief Minister’s post, The Hindu reports.

Running Coalition Govt Will be 'Big Challenge': Kumaraswamy | Karnataka chief minister-designate H D Kumaraswamy acknowledged on Tuesday that running the Congress-JD(S) coalition government over the next five years will be a "big challenge" for him. "This is a big challenge in my life. I'm not expecting that I will be able to fulfill my responsibilities as chief minister easily," Kumaraswamy, who will be sworn in as chief minister on Wednesday, said. Kumaraswamy, who was in Sringeri, the place where Adi Shankaracharya, exponent of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, established his first matha, said he believed that things would go smoothly with the grace of Goddess Shardambe and the Jagadguru. "People also have doubts, not only me, people in the state also have doubt whether this government will function smoothly. But I have belief that with the grace of Sharadambe and Sringeri jagadguru (Shankaracharya) everything will go smoothly," he told reporters. READ FULL STORY HERE

Stage Set in Vidhana Soudha for HD Kumaraswamy's Swearing-in Ceremony | Stage is all set for Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony of JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy as chief minister. Kumaraswamy father and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, on Monday, personally called several national and regional leaders, inviting them to attend the event. He has spoken to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister T Chandrashekhar Rao, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BSP Chief Mayawati, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and others. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on the flight of stairs of the Vidhana Soudha and a huge stage is being erected for the purpose. Deccan Herald reported that according to their sources, a special silk shirt and dhoti have been purchased for Kumaraswamy, which he will wear when he takes oath for the second time in 12 years as chief minister, at 4.30 pm. Kumaraswamy will be taking oath bare-footed following an advice by astrologers, the sources said. A pooja was held in front of the Vidhana Soudha by a priest before the stage was installed on Monday. Arrangements have been made for placing one lakh chairs in front of the seat of power. The road between Vidhana Soudha and Karnataka High Court will be cordoned off and chairs will be placed there. There will be a separate enclosure with 3,000 seats for VIPs.

Uddhav Thackeray Will Not Attend Swearing-in Ceremony | Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray congratulated JD(S) but conveyed his apologies for not being able to attend the swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy as his party is busy in Palghar bypolls.

Uddhav Thackeray congratulated Deve Gowda but conveyed his apologies for not being able to attend the swearing-in ceremony of @hd_kumaraswamy as his party is busy in Palghar by-polls #CMKumaraswamy pic.twitter.com/yAzskKYaOR

— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 23, 2018

BJP Calls for 'Anti-People's Mandate Day' | As JD(S)-Congress government is all set to be sworn-in today, BJP workers will observe anti-people’s mandate day on Wednesday. Party workers will stage a protest throughout Karnataka by wearing black badges. BS Yeddyurappa would lead the protest in Bengaluru. A host of senior leaders from Bengaluru, including MLAs and councillors, from the city will participate in the protest. Likening the coalition partners to snake and mongoose that are bitter enemies, state general secretary C T Ravi predicted that the government would not last long. “This coalition has been formed with the sole intention of keeping the BJP out of power,” The Hindu quoted him as saying. Ravi said none of the BJP leaders would take part in the swearing-in ceremony.

Supporters of HD Kumaraswamy celebrate outside his residence in Bengaluru ahead of his swearing-in ceremony.

#HDKumaraswamy to take oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka today. Visuals of celebrations from outside his residence in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/tz2rrenFEX

— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2018

JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda Invites Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray | Gowda has invited Thackeray him for the swearing-in ceremony of his son Kumaraswamy, which will be held today. Earlier, the Shiv Sena president had slammed the Karnataka governor’s decision to invite BS Yeddyurappa to form the government was “a murder of democracy”.  “The party with the biggest strength should be asked to form the government but what happened in Karnataka is a murder of democracy,” Thackeray said. Questioning the decision of governor Vajubhai Vala, Thackeray asked how someone could have faith on a “person who has been a party worker since his Jan Sangh days". 

Who's Attending & Who's Skipping | Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik will be among the few opposition leaders conspicuous by their absence at the swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Also missing from the event will be Telangana CM and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrashekar Rao, who has been working towards the formation of a non-BJP, non-Congress Federal Front ahead of the 2019 general elections in tandem with West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee. But KCR and Naveen would be giving the coronation of Kumaraswamy a miss for entirely different reasons. While KCR has skipped the Bengaluru do to avoid sharing the dais with the Gandhis, Naveen has stayed away to avoid being seen on the wrong side of the Modi government. READ FULL STORY HERE

K R Ramesh Kumar Speaker in the Karnataka Assembly | The Speaker in the Karnataka Assembly will also be from the Congress – KR Ramesh Kumar - while the deputy speaker will be from the JDS. Kumar, a five-time MLA had won from the Srinivasapur seat in South Karnataka. The five-time MLA was a minister in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet and held the health and family welfare portfolio. The name of the deputy speaker has not been announced so far. Venugopal, who led the negotiations for the Congress in Bengaluru on Tuesday, said that only the number of ministers have been decided right now and portfolio allocation will be done after the floor test, which is expected to take place on Thursday.  This, sources said, has been done in order to make sure that any grievances caused over portfolios does not hinder the trust vote.  The announcement of the power sharing agreement comes a day after Kumaraswamy met Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi at the former’s residence in Delhi. It is learnt that the Congress had mooted appointing two deputy CMs in the state as it would help strike a balance between the two allies. 

G Parameshwara to be Karnataka Deputy CM | The Congress has bagged 22 berths in HD Kumaraswamy’s Cabinet while the JDS will get to appoint 11 ministers, the two parties revealed on Tuesday after days of hectic bargaining over the power sharing formula in Karnataka. Ending speculation over the contours of government formation, Congress’ general secretary KC Venugopal also revealed that G Parameshwara will be Kumaraswamy’s No. 2 in the state government. He will take oath as the deputy CM alongside Kumaraswamy at the grand ceremony planned for Wednesday that leaders from 12 parties are expected to attend. Earlier reports had said that only Kumaraswamy will take oath on Wednesday, while the rest will be sworn in after the floor test on Thursday. The appointment of Parameshwara, a Dalit, as the deputy CM could help the Congress woo the minority community ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election. He will be the first Dalit to be appointed to the post in Karnataka.

HD Kumaraswamy to be sworn-in as chief minister today | After a dramatic political battle over the last ten days, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy is set to lead the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka. Kumaraswamy will be sworn in on Wednesday in Karnataka at a ceremony attended by a galaxy of opposition leaders and chief ministers, a development that could plant a seed for a broad-based anti-BJP platform before the Lok Sabha polls next year.

G Parameshwara to be sworn-in as deputy chief minister  | The Congress' Karnataka president G Parameshwara would be the deputy chief minister in the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)-Congress coalition government, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said on Tuesday. "Party President Rahul Gandhi has approved the name of Parameshwara for the Deputy Chief Minister post in the coalition government," Venugopal told reporters in Bengaluru.

Leaders of non-BJP states to attend swearing-in ceremony; Sonia, Rahul Gandhi to attend as well

Karnataka government formation latest updates | BSP chief Mayawati and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, who have formed an alliance in Uttar Pradesh would also attend the ceremony. DMK leader M K Stalin, who was also expected to be present in order to show the burgeoning opposition consolidation against the BJP, has cancelled his Bengaluru visit and would instead head for Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu where nine people were killed in police firing today.

Karnataka government formation latest updates | A huge stage has been erected in front of the majestic stone building for the ceremony where a host of national and regional leaders are expected to be present to send a message across to the BJP over the shape of things to come in 2019. Government officials and sources in the JD(S) said Congress president Rahul Gandhi, his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan, her counterparts in Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Kerala, are among those likely to be present. So would be CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, one of the most vocal votaries of an anti-BJP alliance, Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah.

Karnataka government formation latest updates | HD Kumaraswamy will be the second chief minister to take oath in Karnataka within a week, after the Bharatiya Janata Party state president BS Yeddyurappa stepped down without facing the floor test on May 19 in the face of imminent defeat. The JD(S)'s chief minister-designate said portfolio distribution will be discussed the day after tomorrow and a coordination committee will be formed to facilitate smooth functioning of the coalition. Kumaraswamy, the third son of JD(S) supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vajubhai Vala at 4:30 pm in front of Vidhana Soudha, seat of the government in Bengaluru.

Karnataka government formation latest updates | A JD(S)-Congress coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy will be sworn-in on Wednesday in Karnataka at a ceremony attended by a galaxy of opposition leaders and chief ministers, a development that could plant a seed for a broad-based anti-BJP platform before the Lok Sabha polls next year. Karnataka Congress president G Parameshwara will be sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister, AICC general secretary in-charge of the state K C Venugopal said. Congress's Ramesh Kumar, a former minister, will be the next Speaker, while the Deputy Speaker's post will go to the JD(S), Venugopal told PTI. The Congress would have 22 ministers and JD(S) 12, he said, adding they would be sworn in after the floor test slated for Thursday.