Discussions underway to appoint new KPCC chief, says Kharge

Following major political developments in Karnataka, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah resigned, clearing the deck for Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar to take over the top post, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated on Sunday (May 31, 2026) that discussions are actively under way to find a successor for the State party chief’s position.

​Speaking to media representatives at Kalaburagi Airport, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha addressed key queries regarding the formation of a new council of Ministers and the appointment of a new State unit president, and rumours surrounding multiple Deputy Chief Minister posts.

​”Naturally, a replacement of the KPCC chief must take place now. We need to evaluate good candidates and look at the right combination to make this appointment. From the perspective of the party’s future and strengthening its organisation, we need a dynamic leader. We have only around 24 months remaining in the current legislative term, and the incoming leader should be one who can work at a rapid pace, foster collective unity, and take everyone along. At the same time, there must be a strong team of party workers and leaders who can cooperate and work in tandem with the new chief. Weighing all these aspects, we are deliberating on the matter,” the Congress president said.

​When questioned about the configuration of the new State cabinet and speculation regarding the creation of additional Deputy Chief Minister posts to balance regional and community equations, Mr. Kharge clarified that the high command is yet to receive an official blueprint from the State leadership.

​”We have not received any official proposal yet. Once a concrete proposal is submitted, decisions will be made regarding how many Ministers need to be inducted, how many Deputy Chief Ministers are required, or whether the appointments of chairmen to crucial State corporations should happen simultaneously,” he clarified.

​Mr. Kharge noted that while internal discussions are ongoing, a clearer picture is expected to emerge only after Wednesday (June 3, 2026), the day Mr. Shivakumar is scheduled take oath as the Chief Minister.

​Indicating that the restructuring of the government might not happen in a single stroke, Mr. Kharge hinted at a multi-stage induction process.

​”Since no formal proposal has reached us specifying whether eight or 10 Ministers will be sworn in initially, we are waiting. Once it arrives, the plan is to conduct the inductions in a phased manner, completing one stage now, and then perhaps taking a gap of 15 days to a month before finalising the next batch of Ministers. This is the thought process for now,” Mr. Kharge stated.