Bengaluru

Veteran Congress leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D K Shivakumar were sworn in as Karnataka's new Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday (May 20) at Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium. G Parameshwara, K H Muniyappa, K J George, M B Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Ramalinga Reddy, and B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan are among the Congress MLAs who have been sworn in as Ministers in Siddaramaiah's Cabinet.

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The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and numerous Opposition party leaders, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, and Former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, as per ANI reports.

This follows days of heated discussions in which the Congress chose Siddaramaiah as chief minister and Shivakumar as his deputy. While Siddaramaiah, 75, is a backward-class politician with over five decades of political experience and is regarded as one of the state's three remaining mass leaders, KPCC president DK Shivakumar, who is from the Vokkaliga group, is regarded as the architect of the triumph in Karnataka.

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Congress's victory in Karnataka

After a 10-year absence, the Congress returned to power in Karnataka on its own strength on May 13, with victories or leads in 137 of 224 seats.

The party has received an overwhelming mandate from the voters. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has borne the price for "various failures." The regional party, the Janata Dal (Secular), has once again demonstrated that it is not a force to be reckoned with throughout the state.

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Karnataka was the BJP's lone southern state. The state upheld its tradition of not re-electing a political party.

There might be a variety of reasons why an election is won or lost. However, some elements become apparent. For example, the ruling BJP is still a party that needs to spread across the state. The Congress, on the other hand, is thoroughly anchored in each district.

A swing of 2-5 percentage points is enough for the Congress to prevail over the BJP. Unlike the BJP, the Congress state leaders accepted the responsibility of guiding the party to the polls, reported Moneycontrol. 

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DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee head, and former chief minister Siddaramaiah positioned the party brilliantly in front of the people. There was no let-up in their efforts to portray the ruling BJP as corrupt. Efforts began with the PayCM campaign months ago. The Congress didn't simply depend on its own strategy; it also enlisted the help of political organisations to boost its campaign.

Unlike the BJP, the Congress placed a high value on its senior Karnataka leadership. This has also contributed to the party's good mood today. The vote share of Congress has surpassed 40 per cent, a recent high. Surprisingly, the traditional Vokkaliga belt, primarily Mandya and Hassan, supported the Congress as well. The Congress has also received a lot of support over the years.

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Additionally, the corruption accusations levelled against the Basavaraj Bommai administration harmed the BJP's image. BJP state officials, including ministers, were unable to trumpet their accomplishments or explain to the public how the Narendra Modi-led administration at the Centre has benefited the people of Karnataka.

(With inputs from agencies)

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