Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 4 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar chaired his first official cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru a day after he officially took charge as the 34th Chief Minister of Karnataka, marking a new era for the state.

According to a statment from the Chief Minister's office, the official cabinet meeting was attended by DCM G Parameshwara, Senior Minister Ramalinga Reddy, and all the senior bureaucrats and police officials.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar briefly met his supporters gathered outside his residence in Bengaluru. The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru, marked the formal commencement of his tenure as he accepted the mantle of leadership after former CM Siddaramaiah.

Alongside Shivakumar, senior leader G Parameshwara was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.

The event saw the induction of another 12 legislators into the Council of Ministers, signalling the formation of a new cabinet to steer the state's governance.

The newly inducted ministers include KH Muniyappa, KJ George, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge, UT Khader, Eshwara Khandre, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Byrathi Suresh, and Sharan Prakash Patil.

Before taking the oath, Shivakumar sought the blessings of Veera Gangadhara Ajjayya, and following the ceremony, he bowed respectfully to the attendees.

The ceremony was attended by top Congress leadership, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal.

Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states, including Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan, were also present.

Along with this, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) appointed senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad as the new president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), following the resignation of DK Shivakumar.

In his first press interaction as Chief Minister, Shivakumar announced that free bus passes will be provided to all school and college students across Karnataka.

Addressing the media, Shivakumar said the decision was aimed at addressing concerns raised by students over limited access under earlier schemes. (ANI)