Bengaluru, 2 June

The Karnataka government declared a half-day holiday on 3 June for State government officers and staff working at the Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha, and the Multi-Storeyed Building on 3 June in view of the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar.

According to a notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the oath-taking ceremony will be held at 4:05pm on 3 June at the Karnataka Legislature premises. A large gathering of dignitaries, elected representatives, party leaders, and members of the public is expected to attend the event.

The government stated that the decision was taken to facilitate security arrangements, traffic management, and the smooth conduct of the ceremony. Authorities anticipate heavy vehicular movement and crowd congestion in and around the Vidhana Soudha precincts.

Consequently, government offices located in the vicinity of the Legislature and Vidhana Soudha will remain closed in the afternoon on 3 June.

The order was issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms in the name of the Governor of Karnataka.

Meanwhile, today Shivakumar arrived at the residence of Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital for discussions on cabinet formation and key organisational appointments ahead of his swearing-in ceremony.

The meeting assumes significance as the Congress high command moves closer to finalising the composition of the new Karnataka cabinet, including ministerial berths, the Deputy Chief Minister's post and organisational restructuring within the state unit.

Earlier in the day, Senior Congress leaders from Karnataka gathered in New Delhi for a series of consultations with the party leadership. Karnataka caretaker Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and several other senior leaders were also part of the deliberations at Kharge's residence.

The swearing-in ceremony of Shivakumar as Chief Minister is scheduled to take place at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru on 3 June at 4pm.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah met party leaders in Delhi, while Karnataka Congress MLA Priyank Kharge also met Mallikarjun Kharge amid speculation regarding his role in the new cabinet.

Further details on the final cabinet structure are expected following the conclusion of the high-level discussions.