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Former Karnataka Minister H K Patil on Wednesday welcomed Siddaramaiah into the Congress Working Committee (CWC), saying that he will be a "voice of social justice".He also said that the Congress party high command has finalised the names for the new state cabinet, with an official announcement expected later in the morning.
Speaking to ANI, commenting on cabinet participation and party leadership roles, Patil said, "Yesterday our High Command conducted an elaborate exercise, and they have taken some decision, perhaps it has not yet been made known. Maybe by 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock the names will be announced." When asked whether he will be in DK Shivakumar's cabinet, he maintained that the final call rests with the party leadership, saying, "Whatever high command is going to take a decision, that will be the decision for all of us." On Siddaramaiah becoming a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), he said, "I welcome him. He will be the best representative of the people. He will be the voice of social justice in the working committee of the Congress party." Shivakumar will be succeeding Siddaramaiah, who held the position for the longest period in the history of the state. Several other senior Congress MLAs are likely to take oath along with Shivakumar, including G Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Yathindra Siddaramaiah and others. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, earlier in the morning, left from the IGI airport in the national capital for Bengaluru, to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Karnataka Chief Minister-designate DK Shivakumar. Other than Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, party general secretary KC Venugopal, and Karnataka Congress in charge Randeep Surjewala are also likely to attend Shivakumar's oath-taking ceremony. Several Congress Chief Ministers are also expected to mark their presence at the event. Supporters of DK Shivakumar held special prayers ahead of their leader's oath-taking ceremony, whereas his Kanakapura constituency was decked up with Banners and cutouts which congratulated him for becoming Chief Minister. After decades of political manoeuvring, crisis management, and strengthening the Congress organisation in Karnataka, Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar, popularly known as DK Shivakumar, is set to take oath as Chief Minister after being elected as the Congress Legislative Party leader. (ANI)
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