AMN / BANGALORE
JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy will be administered the oath of office as Chief Minister of Karnataka today on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat.
Mr. Kumaraswamy, 58, will be sworn in as the Chief Minister for the second time. He was the Chief Minister for 20 months in the JD(S)-BJP coalition government during 2006-07. G. Parameshwara (67), the Dalit face of the dominant partner Congress, will also be sworn in on Wednesday. He will be the Deputy Chief Minister.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi will be present on this occasion. Chief Ministers of non-BJP states and heads of regional parties have accepted the invitation to attend the swearing in ceremony.
After several rounds of meetings and consultation during the last week, an understanding was reached on sharing of berths in the Ministry between the Congress and the JD(S). With the size of the Ministry fixed at 34, the Congress will get 22 berths, including that of Deputy Chief Minister, while the JD(S) will get 12, including the Chief Minister.
On Wednesday, Governor Vajubhai Vala will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Kumaraswamy on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha at 4.30 p.m. in the presence of a galaxy of national leaders who are in the forefront of an effort to form a united non-BJP coalition.
K C Venugopal, who is AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, said that given that the Congress number (78) in the Assembly double that of the JD (S) (36), the Congress will get the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly while the Deputy Speaker will go to the JD (S).
Thirty two Ministers and portfolio allocation will be decided after the floor test of the coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy on May 24. There are 221 elected members in the Legislative Assembly and the coalition partners have 117 members, including one BSP and two independents.
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 to legislators.