Siddaramaiah takes oath as 22nd chief minister of Karnataka

Siddaramaiah takes oath as 22nd chief minister of Karnataka

Mangalore Today News Network

Bangalore, May 12, 2013 (DHNS): Congress leader Siddaramaiah has taken oaths as Karnataka’s 22nd Chief Minister, beginning the party’s rule of the state on its own after a gap of nine years.

Governor HR Bhardwaj administered the oath of office and secrecy to Siddaramaiah at Sree Kanteerva stadium in city centre.

The five-minute solemn ceremony, which took place exactly at 11.40 am, was witnessed by more than 50,000 supporters who had assembled at the Sri Kanteerva Stadium, the venue of the function.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first time in Karnataka that a chief minister was sworn in at a stadium as work on metro rail has taken up much space in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the majestic state secretariat, the usual venue for such functions.

Mr.Siddramaiah, the fifth Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader to assume office as Chief Minister of Karnataka, took the oath of secrecy in Kannada in the name of truth. A huge cheer rent the air as he read out the oath administered by the Governor.

The overflowing crowd indulged in sloganeering hailing him as the saviour of the backward classes and other weaker sections. People jostled for space within the stadium to get a glimpse of their leader. There was chaos in and the around the stadium as the police had put up barricades at every step obstructing the entry of people including those with VIP passes. Many MLAs, former ministers and other important dignitaries including the City Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy found it difficult to enter the stadium.

The event was attended by well known intellectuals - G Venkatsubbaiah, Jnanapith awardees Girish Karnad and Chandrashekar Kambar, writers S G Sidaramaiah, M M Kalburgi, Kalegowda Nagawara and Chandrashekar Patil.

Mr. Siddarmaiah took the oath in the presence of Union Ministers – Mallikarjun Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, Rehman Khan, K H Muniyappa, former External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, AICC leaders Madhusudan Mistry, Oscar Fernandes, B K Hariprasad and Luizinho Faleiro apart from KPCC president G Parameshwara and Congress MLAs.

While prominent opposition leaders such as former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and JD (S) President H D Kumaraswamy and BJP President Prahlad Joshi and KJP leader B S Yeddyurappa were conspicuous by their absence, BJP MP D B Chandre Gowda and BSR Congress party president B Sriramulu greeted Mr Siddaramaiah.

He sought cooperation of all sections of the society, including Dalits, as at a few places some Dalit organisations have organised protests against what they claim as “denial” of chief ministership to union Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit.

“I am also a Dalit (in the sense that he is from a deprived sections of the society),” said Siddaramaiah, who belongs to Kuruba (shepherd community) caste.

Siddaramaiah said Kharge deserved the post but high command has given the responsibility to him and all should abide by it.

Kharge also appealed to the protesting Dalits to end the agitation. He told reporters in Bangalore that the Congress high command has taken the decision and now the focus should be on helping the party to provide good governance and not protests.

The Congress won 121 seats in the 225-member assembly for which election was held on 5 May and voted counted on 8 May. The Congress last ruled the state on its own in 1999-2004. For nearly two years in 2004-2006, it headed a coalition with Janata Dal-Secular.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was routed in the poll as it won just 40 seats and is tied for the second spot with Janata Dal-Secular which also got the same number of seats.

Independents and smaller parties have taken 22 seats while voting will take place on 28 May for one seat as polling was countermanded following the death of BJP candidate.