DKS Likely To Take Over As Next Karnataka Chief Minister

In November-December, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is likely to take over as the Chief Minister of the state, replacing the veteran Kuruba leader, Siddaramaiah, sources from the state government told The Sunday Guardian.

- BELIE THOMAS

Recently, soon after CM Siddaramaiah announced that his government was going to hold a new caste census in the next three months, MLC A.S. Vishwanath slammed the Chief Minister by stating that he was lying as it took the same Siddaramaiah two years to conduct a caste census 10 years ago in Karnataka, spending Rs 170 cr at the time. Now that the teachers will not be free during these three months as the schools have just reopened, it is practically impossible for the Siddaramaiah cabinet to conduct the caste census, and moreover Siddaramaiah will be changed from the CM's position in November-December, MLC Vishwanath asserted.

The MLC also hinted that the new Chief Minister in November-December would be either the Vokkaliga leader D.K. Shivakumar or the president of the AICC, Mallikarjun Kharge.

However, sources from AICC said that leaving a central position where he heads the AICC, Kharge's coming in as CM of Karnataka was not likely and thus Shivakumar becoming the CM was almost inevitable.