Bengaluru, May 31 -- A day after being chosen to lead the Congress Legislature Party and invited to form the government, designated Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has begun consultations on cabinet formation amid intense lobbying from party leaders seeking ministerial berths.

With Shivakumar set to take the oath as Karnataka's next Chief Minister, security has been significantly tightened at his residence in Sadashivanagar. Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers, and access for party workers and members of the public has been restricted.

His residence has quickly emerged as the new political nerve centre of the state, with a steady stream of senior Congress leaders, former ministers and legislators arriving to congratulate S...