Bengaluru, June 3 (IANS) Lok Bhavan and its surrounding areas have been turned into a police fortress ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of D.K. Shivakumar as Chief Minister, along with his Council of Ministers, on Wednesday in Bengaluru. More than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed to provide security and ensure that no untoward incidents occur in and around Lok Bhavan.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh will directly monitor the security arrangements. Three Joint Commissioners of Police and 20 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) will be on the ground coordinating security operations with the deployed personnel.

For the programme to be held at Lok Bhavan, only VIPs and VVIPs possessing valid vehicle passes will be permitted to drive their vehicles directly to the premises. All dignitaries have been advised to take their seats at least one hour before the commencement of the event.

Vehicles of dignitaries arriving without vehicle passes will be stopped near Thimmaiah Circle, and no private vehicles will be allowed beyond that point.

To ensure the safe transportation of such dignitaries from Thimmaiah Circle to the main venue at Lok Bhavan, special six-seater electric golf carts have been arranged. The police have already obtained the official list of dignitaries who have been issued passes and are carrying out verification checks.

As Shivakumar is set to be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka, his supporters and Congress workers have put up massive flex boards, banners and cut-outs at several locations across the city to congratulate the Chief Minister-designate.

In particular, Congress workers in Sumanahalli, under the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency, have erected a gigantic 100-foot-tall cut-out of D.K. Shivakumar and are grandly celebrating the occasion.

Meanwhile, welcome banners and flex boards have been installed along the route from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to the city to greet the party high command and distinguished leaders from various states who are arriving for the swearing-in ceremony. From the airport toll plaza to Bengaluru city, highways and traffic-congested stretches are lined with flex boards featuring photographs of various political leaders.

The Congress Kisan Cell Karnataka brought a garland made of Rs 20 currency notes to present to D.K. Shivakumar, who is set to take oath as Karnataka Chief Minister.

–IANS

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