A unique housing arrangement has emerged in Karnataka amidst an impending leadership transition. While the state's longest-serving Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, is resigning to pave the way for DK Shivakumar to take over the top post, there will be no change in the occupancy of Cauvery, the official bungalow traditionally allotted to the sitting Chief Minister. According to sources, the two top leaders have mutually reached an amicable agreement regarding the official residence.
Under this understanding, the outgoing Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, is expected to formally retain and continue his stay in the Cauvery bungalow until the year 2028. Consequently, the incoming Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, will initially operate and stay at his own private residence. At a later date, he will relocate his official base to another suitable, government-allotted property instead of moving into the traditional CM house.
This unusual housing arrangement is not entirely unprecedented in Karnataka's political history. A nearly identical situation occurred back in 2021, when BS Yediyurappa, the tallest Lingayat leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), resigned from the Chief Minister's post but chose to continue living in the official bungalow long after stepping down from office. After a long wait, DK Shivakumar will take the oath as the state’s 25th Chief Minister tomorrow at the Lok Bhavan. The CM-designate earlier announced that the swearing-in ceremony would be a low-key affair, citing traffic concerns in Bengaluru.
He explained that they had decided to hold a restrained function at Lok Bhavan to avoid chaos in Bengaluru and to minimise disruption for the common people. He added that since it is a working day, they did not want to cause gridlock in the city, noting that more than 17,000 vehicles had already been booked to bring party workers and supporters to the capital, which had raised concerns among police officers regarding traffic management and public grievances.
Also read: Siddaramaiah to resign, Shivakumar to be next Karnataka CM
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