DK Shivakumar awaits Congress high command's Karnataka Cabinet list
Synopsis
Karnataka's new Cabinet is being scripted in Delhi, not Bengaluru. Shivakumar's late-night clarification — that media-floated names are unofficial and the high command will dictate the list — underscores how tightly the AICC is controlling the rollout. The bigger subplot: a Dalit Deputy CM, reportedly pushed by Siddaramaiah over Shivakumar's objections.
Key Takeaways
Shivakumar said the official Karnataka Cabinet list will be sent by the Congress high command on Wednesday between 10 a.m. and noon .
He dismissed media-circulated names as unofficial and declined to comment on the Deputy Chief Minister post.
Sources say a senior Congress leader from the Dalit community has reportedly been finalised as Deputy CM, on Siddaramaiah's insistence and despite Shivakumar's opposition.
The Congress Bhavan groundbreaking ceremony in Bengaluru , set for Wednesday evening, has been postponed.
Shivakumar said he would meet invited block presidents and office-bearers at Bharat Jodo Bhavan after seeing off Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge .
Karnataka Chief Minister-designate D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday night said the names doing the rounds in the media about the composition of the incoming state Cabinet were not official, and that the final list would be communicated by the Congress high command on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru after returning from New Delhi, he indicated that the party leadership was in the closing stages of finalising the line-up.
What Shivakumar said
“The names circulated in the media are not official. By 10 a.m. or noon tomorrow, the high command will send the list of names to me. We have all come together, shared our opinions and discussed the matter. The final decision will be made by the Delhi high command, and they will send the list,” Shivakumar said.
He added that once the approved list reaches him, it will be forwarded to Raj Bhavan. “After getting the list from the high command, I will send it to Raj Bhavan. I will share only these details now,” he said.
Deputy CM question left open
Shivakumar declined to comment on whether a decision had been taken to create the post of Deputy Chief Minister, walking away without responding when pressed. Sources indicated that the name of a prominent Congress leader from the Dalit community has reportedly been finalised for the Deputy CM post, on the insistence of outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and despite Shivakumar's reported opposition.
Congress Bhavan event postponed
The CM-designate also announced that the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Congress Bhavan in Bengaluru, scheduled for Wednesday evening, has been deferred and will be held on a separate date.
Referring to invitees already informed about the event, Shivakumar said party functionaries arriving at Bharat Jodo Bhavan on Wednesday would be received after official engagements. “To all those to whom I have sent invitations, including block presidents, office-bearers and members of the guarantee implementation committees, if they come to Bharat Jodo Bhavan tomorrow, I will meet them after the Cabinet-related proceedings and after seeing off Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge,” he said.
What's next
The Cabinet list is expected to reach Shivakumar by Wednesday afternoon, after which it will be routed to Raj Bhavan for swearing-in formalities. The Deputy CM decision — and how the Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar equation is balanced in the final allocation — will shape the early months of the new Karnataka government.
Point of View
Resisted by Shivakumar — is less about social engineering and more about internal containment of the CM-designate's faction. If accurate, it sets up a government with two power centres before it has even been sworn in. The high command's silence on the Deputy CM question is itself a signal: this isn't settled.
NationPress
18 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did DK Shivakumar say about the Karnataka Cabinet list?
Shivakumar said the names being circulated in the media are not official and that the Congress high command will send the final list by 10 a.m. or noon on Wednesday. Once he receives it, he will forward the list to Raj Bhavan.
Has the Deputy Chief Minister post been finalised in Karnataka?
Shivakumar declined to comment on whether a Deputy CM post has been decided. However, sources indicate that a senior Congress leader from the Dalit community has reportedly been finalised for the role, on the insistence of outgoing CM Siddaramaiah.
Why was the Congress Bhavan groundbreaking ceremony postponed?
Shivakumar announced that the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Congress Bhavan in Bengaluru, originally scheduled for Wednesday evening, has been deferred. It will now be held on a separate date, which is yet to be announced.
Who is involved in finalising the Karnataka Cabinet?
The Congress high command in Delhi, including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, is finalising the Cabinet composition. CM-designate Shivakumar and outgoing CM Siddaramaiah have shared their inputs, but the final call rests with the Delhi leadership.
