Shivakumar swearing-in: 2,000 cops turn Bengaluru's Lok Bhavan into fortress
Synopsis
Bengaluru's Lok Bhavan has been ringed by 2,000 cops, 20 DCPs and electric golf carts for VVIPs as D.K. Shivakumar prepares to take oath as Karnataka Chief Minister. A 100-foot cut-out in Sumanahalli and a garland stitched from ₹20 notes signal a Congress show of strength built around Shivakumar's rural and worker base.
Key Takeaways
Over 2,000 police personnel deployed around Lok Bhavan for D.K.
Shivakumar's swearing-in as Karnataka CM .
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh , 3 Joint CPs and 20 DCPs overseeing security.
Vehicles without passes to be stopped at Thimmaiah Circle ; six-seater electric golf carts arranged for VVIPs.
Congress workers have erected a 100-foot cut-out of Shivakumar in Sumanahalli , Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
The Congress Kisan Cell Karnataka has prepared a garland made of ₹20 currency notes for Shivakumar.
Bengaluru has turned Lok Bhavan and its surrounding stretches into a tightly guarded security zone ahead of the swearing-in of D.K. Shivakumar as Karnataka Chief Minister, along with his Council of Ministers, on Wednesday. More than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed to secure the venue and prevent any untoward incident during the high-profile ceremony.
Security command structure
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh will directly monitor the arrangements on the ground. Three Joint Commissioners of Police and 20 Deputy Commissioners of Police have been tasked with coordinating field operations with the deployed personnel across multiple perimeters.
Access protocol for dignitaries
Only VIPs and VVIPs carrying valid vehicle passes will be permitted to drive directly into the Lok Bhavan premises. All invitees have been advised to occupy their seats at least one hour before the programme begins.
Vehicles arriving without authorised passes will be halted at Thimmaiah Circle, beyond which no private vehicles will be allowed. To shuttle guests from that checkpoint to the main venue, the administration has arranged six-seater electric golf carts. Police have obtained the official invitee list and are carrying out verification checks.
Congress workers in celebration mode
With Shivakumar set to take oath as the new Chief Minister, Congress workers and supporters have erected massive flex boards, banners and cut-outs across the city. In Sumanahalli, under the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency, party workers have put up a 100-foot-tall cut-out of Shivakumar and launched grand celebrations.
Welcome banners line the route from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to the city, greeting the Congress high command and leaders from various states arriving for the ceremony. From the airport toll plaza into Bengaluru, highways and busy stretches are dotted with flex boards featuring photographs of senior political leaders.
A garland of currency notes
In a striking gesture, the Congress Kisan Cell Karnataka has prepared a garland made of ₹20 currency notes to present to Shivakumar when he takes oath as Chief Minister. The optics underline the intra-party push to project Shivakumar's mass base, particularly in rural Karnataka, on his ascension day.
What happens next
The Council of Ministers will be sworn in alongside Shivakumar, with security and logistics expected to remain on high alert through the day. Traffic diversions around Lok Bhavan are likely to continue until the ceremony concludes and dignitaries depart.
Point of View
000 personnel, 20 DCPs, electric golf carts, and a pass-only perimeter — signals that this is not a routine oath but a carefully managed political moment for the Congress in Karnataka. The 100-foot cut-out in Sumanahalli and the ₹20-note garland from the Kisan Cell are theatre with a message: Shivakumar's ascension is being framed as a victory of the party's organisational and rural backbone, not just a personal triumph. Yet the spectacle also underscores how fragile the optics are; any visible dissent within the state unit on swearing-in day would dominate the narrative far more than the security cordon. For now, the choreography is doing what the high command wants it to — projecting unity and inevitability.
NationPress
19 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is being sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister at Lok Bhavan?
D.K. Shivakumar is set to take oath as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka along with his Council of Ministers on Wednesday at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. The ceremony is being held under heavy security with more than 2,000 police personnel deployed.
What security arrangements have been made for the swearing-in ceremony?
Over 2,000 police personnel have been deployed in and around Lok Bhavan, with Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh directly monitoring operations. Three Joint Commissioners and 20 DCPs are coordinating on the ground, while vehicles without valid passes will be halted at Thimmaiah Circle.
How will VIPs reach the venue if their vehicles are stopped?
Six-seater electric golf carts have been arranged to ferry dignitaries from Thimmaiah Circle to the main Lok Bhavan venue. Only those with verified passes on the official invitee list will be allowed beyond the checkpoint.
What are Congress workers doing to mark the occasion?
Congress workers have put up massive flex boards, banners and cut-outs across Bengaluru, including a 100-foot-tall cut-out of D.K. Shivakumar in Sumanahalli under Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency. The Congress Kisan Cell Karnataka has also prepared a garland made of ₹20 currency notes to present to him.
Why is the swearing-in being held at Lok Bhavan?
Lok Bhavan is the designated venue for the official swearing-in of the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers, and routes from Kempegowda International Airport into the city have been lined with welcome banners for the Congress high command and leaders from other states arriving for the event.
