Several CMs, opposition leaders to attend Siddaramaiah's swearing in

New Delhi: Leaders of several like-minded opposition parties are likely to attend the swearing in ceremony of Karnataka chief minister-designate Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday in Bengaluru.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has extended the invitation to several chief ministers and party leaders and personally invited them to the event.

Kharge sent an invitation to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and he is likely to attend the swearing in.

"The CM is likely to leave on Saturday from Ranchi to attend the ceremony and return the same day," sources close to Soren said.

Soren, who is in Delhi, had met Kharge on May 16 and congratulated him on the Congress’ victory in the Karnataka assembly elections.

Kharge has also invited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Invitations have also been sent to National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah.

Kharge also personally called up CPI general secretary D Raja and he has confirmed his participation at the swearing in.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will attend the swearing-in of Congress government in Karnataka, JD(U) spokesperson Rajib Ranjan said.

The Congress president and Karnataka chief minister-designate Siddaramaiah called up Stalin over phone on Thursday and invited him to participate in the swearing in ceremony on May 20, an official release in Chennai said.

AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said, "We are inviting the like-minded party leaders to be the part of swearing in ceremony." Asked how many parties are being invited, he said, "We are definitely inviting like-minded parties" and said the details are being worked out.

The Karnataka Congress has also extended invitations to former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Besides, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will also be invited and they will also be present.