2 deputies, spot for Siddaramaiah's son: What Karnataka cabinet under ‘CM’ Shivakumar can look like

TWo surrogate chief ministers and a politically important role is potential in the revamped mysore locker which DK Shivakumar is set to lead, taking the baton from outgoing CM Siddaramaiah after three years of him in power.Inside details from series of meetings that the Congress has held to decide the contours of the cabinet with Shivakumar as chief ministers reveal that Siddaramaiah, who resigned on Thursday, has sought a key position for his son Yathindra.The official announcement of Shivakumar becoming the next chief minister is expected after Congress legislature party meeting taking place at 4 pm today at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Track latest on Karnataka CM news hereSince the Congress won the Karnataka assembly elections in 2023, there has been persistent talk of a power-sharing arrangement between CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy Shivakumar, reportedly endorsed by the party's central leadership, that would involve a transfer of power after two and a half years.Karnataka revamped cabinet | Inside details-The Congress legislature party is expected to formally elect DK Shivakumar as its leader at a Vidhana Soudha meeting at 4 pm on Saturday, after which preparations for a ceremony where he will be sworn in as Karnataka chief minister are likely to proceed. His swearing-in is expected to take place on June 3, HT has learnt.-The new cabinet with Shivakumar as the chief minister will have two deputy CMs, with Satish Jarkiholi having been offered the post. There is no word on acceptance from him yet, people familiar with the matter said. -Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra is set to be a minister in the Karnataka cabinet that Shivakumar will lead as CM, HT has learnt. Photographs released after a a series of meetins on Friday showed Siddaramaiah's son, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, alongside senior Congress leaders, fuelling speculation over his possible induction into the government. While some reports suggested he could be considered for a deputy chief minister's post, leaders involved in the talks indicated that Yathindra is more likely to be inducted as a cabinet minister.-"Siddaramaiah wants Yathindra in a politically significant department. The social welfare portfolio is among the options under discussion," HT quoted a leader familiar with the talks as saying. The social welfare department, which oversees programmes for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, is regarded as one of the more influential portfolios in the state government.-People familiar with the matter have said that Siddaramaiah sought a broader coordination mechanism linking the Congress organisation and the state government. "The BJP in Karnataka has a state president but also a coordination committee headed by BS Yediyurappa, which functions as an advisory body. Something on similar lines is what is being sought," a senior leader aware of the discussions held on Friday said. Leaders aligned with Shivakumar are understood to have opposed the proposal, arguing that it could create parallel centres of authority in Bengaluru after the transition of power. According to party leaders, the Congress high command has not yet agreed to the proposal.(With inputs from Sunetra Choudhury)