Bengaluru, May 18, 2023, IANS

Bengaluru, May 18 (IANS): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday said that he will administer oath to Chief Minister-designate Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to take oath on May 20.

"I am in receipt of your letter dated 18th May, 2023 staking claim to form the government.

"I invite you to take oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka and D.K. Shivakumar to take oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka along with team members. The oath ceremony will take place at 12.30 p.m. on May 20, 2023 in Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru," the Governor said in a communication to newly-elected leader of Congress Legislature Party Siddaramaiah. A copy of the letter has been sent to Shivakumar.

Earlier, a Congress delegation, headed by Siddaramaiah, met the Governor and staked claim to form the government. Karnataka Congress President Shivakumar, Campaign Committee Member M.B. Patil and state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala were present.

Congress sources confirmed that the swearing-in ceremony is going to be a mega event and Chief Ministers of eight states are invited to the programme - West Bengal's Mamta Banerjee, Rajasthan's Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh's Bhupesh Baghel, Bihar's Nitish Kumar, Himachal Pradesh's Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Puducherry's N. Rangaswamy, Tamil Nadu's M.K. Stalin and Jharkhand's Hemant Soren.

Sources said that more than 25 ministers will take oath on May 20. The leaders are also planning to hold a public rally following the oath taking ceremony.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are reaching New Delhi on Friday with the tentative list of cabinet ministers for final approval.