Celebrations break out in Bengaluru after Siddaramaiah named CM

Bengaluru: Many areas were bedecked and supporters set off firecrackers at several places from the HAL airport to the Congress office on Queen's Road here as the Karnataka Chief Minister-designate Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar were given a rousing reception when they arrived from Delhi on Thursday evening.

Siddaramaiah will be the next Chief Minister and Shivakumar the deputy CM, Congress announced in Delhi earlier in the day after the party arrived at a consensus on government formation in the state following hectic parleys over the last few days.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held in Bengaluru on May 20.

As soon as their plane landed at the airport, their supporters burst into jubilation. They expressed their joy by raising slogans and setting off firecrackers.

The road from HAL Airport to Queen’s Road was full of festoons, Congress posters, cutouts of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

Hundreds of Congress workers on either sides of the road showered flower petals on the two leaders. Congress workers, in fact, have been in festive mood since morning.

A Congress Legislature Party meeting is slated to be held this evening where Siddaramaiah would be formally elected as its leader.

Even before a formal announcement that Siddaramaiah would be the next Chief Minister, his supporters broke into celebrations here and at his native village in Mysuru district.

The residents of Siddaramanahundi, the native village of Siddaramaiah, were jubilant since Wednesday itself following reports that their leader would become the Chief Minister again.

The villagers set off crackers, raised slogans hailing Siddaramaiah and distributed sweets.

His brother Sidde Gowda was confident that Siddaramaiah will be chosen for the top post. "There's a guarantee that Siddaramaiah will become Chief Minister. He has done good for the people. He introduced 'Anna Bhagya' scheme giving free rice to the poor people," Sidde Gowda told reporters in Siddaramanahundi on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, arrangements were going on at Sree Kanteerava stadium in the city where the swearing-in ceremony will take place.

Security has been stepped up near the residence of Siddaramaiah, who is the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, here and in the vicinity of the stadium where the ceremony will take place.