Shivakumar seeks Deve Gowda's blessings before Karnataka CM oath
Synopsis
Hours before taking oath as Karnataka Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar walked into H.D. Deve Gowda's home and touched his feet — a symbolic truce with a family his camp has feuded with for decades. With M.B. Patil and Ramalinga Reddy inducted and a second Cabinet expansion plus a new KPCC chief on the way, the Congress reset has begun.
Key Takeaways
Shivakumar met former PM H.D.
Deve Gowda at his Padmanabhanagar home in Bengaluru on 3 June to seek blessings before the evening swearing-in.
Patil and Ramalinga Reddy confirmed they have been invited to join the Council of Ministers.
Patil said a second phase of Cabinet expansion will follow and the KPCC will get a new president.
The Shivakumar–Deve Gowda meeting comes weeks after a public spat between Shivakumar and Union Minister H.D.
Portfolio allocation, Patil said, is the Chief Minister's prerogative.
Karnataka Chief Minister-designate D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday, 3 June called on former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda at his Padmanabhanagar residence in Bengaluru to seek his blessings ahead of the evening's swearing-in ceremony, in a politically loaded gesture that cuts across decades of rivalry between the two camps. Senior Congress leaders M.B. Patil and Ramalinga Reddy separately confirmed they had been invited to join the new Council of Ministers.
A rival's blessing before the oath
Shivakumar presented a bouquet to the JD(S) patriarch and touched his feet as a mark of respect. Deve Gowda, in turn, shook hands with him, felicitated him and wished him success, according to those present at the brief interaction.
The optics carry weight. The Shivakumar camp and the Deve Gowda family have been on opposite sides of Karnataka's political map for years, and only weeks ago Shivakumar and Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy — Deve Gowda's son — were trading sharp personal attacks over a string of issues.
Patil thanks the high command
M.B. Patil, a close associate of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, told reporters that Shivakumar had personally phoned him with the invitation. An engineer and educationist who represents the Babaleshwar Assembly constituency in Vijayapura district, Patil previously held the Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development portfolio in the Siddaramaiah government.
'I convey my heartfelt gratitude to Sonia Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, AICC General Secretaries K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala,' Patil said.
More expansion, new KPCC chief on the cards
Patil indicated that the high command's decision had followed extensive deliberations and that Wednesday's induction was only the opening move. 'This is the first phase of Cabinet formation. There will be a second phase of Cabinet expansion as well. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) will also have a new president,' he said.
On portfolios, Patil deferred entirely to Shivakumar. 'I do not know how many ministers will take oath today. Allocation of portfolios is the Chief Minister's prerogative, and I will accept whatever responsibility is assigned to me,' he added.
Ramalinga Reddy back in the frame
Former Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed he had received a call from the party leadership inviting him to join the Cabinet. Reddy, known for his grassroots network in the capital, represents the BTM Layout Assembly constituency in Bengaluru.
What to watch next
Beyond Wednesday's swearing-in, the focus shifts to portfolio allocation, the timing of a second expansion, and the choice of a new KPCC chief — three decisions that will shape the contours of Shivakumar's government and the Congress's organisational reset in the state.
Point of View
Especially with Kumaraswamy now in the Union Cabinet and the JD(S)-BJP axis hardened. The bigger test is internal: whether the Siddaramaiah camp, visible through M.B. Patil's induction and effusive thanks, will accept Shivakumar's primacy without the friction that defined the 2023 power-sharing arrangement. A new KPCC chief and a second expansion will reveal who actually holds the pen.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did D.K. Shivakumar meet H.D. Deve Gowda before his swearing-in?
Shivakumar visited Deve Gowda at his Padmanabhanagar residence in Bengaluru on 3 June to seek his blessings ahead of taking oath as Karnataka Chief Minister. The meeting was politically significant because Shivakumar and the Deve Gowda family have long been rivals in state politics.
Who are M.B. Patil and Ramalinga Reddy?
M.B. Patil is a senior Congress leader and close associate of Siddaramaiah who represents Babaleshwar in Vijayapura district and earlier held the Large and Medium Industries portfolio. Ramalinga Reddy is a former Transport and Muzrai Minister who represents BTM Layout in Bengaluru.
Will there be more Cabinet inductions in Karnataka?
Yes. M.B. Patil said Wednesday's swearing-in is only the first phase of Cabinet formation and a second expansion will follow. He also indicated that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee will get a new president.
Who decides portfolio allocation in the new government?
Portfolio allocation is the Chief Minister's prerogative, according to M.B. Patil. Ministers being inducted have said they will accept whatever responsibilities are assigned to them by Shivakumar.
What was the recent friction between Shivakumar and the Deve Gowda family?
In recent weeks, Shivakumar and Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy — Deve Gowda's son — had engaged in a war of words and traded personal attacks over various political issues, making Wednesday's courtesy call politically notable.
