Will Chief Minister designate H.D. Kumaraswamy’s Cabinet have two Deputy Chief Ministers?
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara, who is one of the contenders for the post, told presspersons on Sunday that there was a proposal for two Deputy Chief Ministers. However, the Congress high command will take a call on that, he said.
Sources said there are more than two contenders for the post. If Mr. Parameshwara is given the post, both the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will be from South Karnataka. In the wake of this, there is a demand from Lingayat legislators of North Karnataka to give the post to one of them. The names of former Ministers M.B. Patil, S.R. Patil, and H.K. Patil are doing the rounds.
Meanwhile, the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha is learnt to have submitted a representation to the party leaders appealing that the Deputy Chief Minister’s post be given to senior member from their community Shamanur Shivashankarappa. A final decision on this is likely to emerge after discussions between Mr. Kumaraswamy and Rahul Gandhi on Monday, sources said.
It is still not clear if any Congress member will also be sworn in along with Mr. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday. AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal said a decision was yet to be taken.
No term sharing
Meanwhile, Mr. Kumaraswamy also denied speculation that the Chief Ministerial term would have to be shared between the coalition partners and declared that he would complete the full term of five years.
On the speculated threat of Enforcement Directorate raiding Congress and JD(S) leaders to put hurdles in the way of proving majority, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “The BJP leaders at the Centre are threatening both Congress and JD(S) leaders of ED raid. But, there is no question of cowing down under pressure.”
Mr. Kumaraswamy refuted reports on Congress and JD(S) fielding a common candidate in the bypolls to Jayanagar and the possibility of one of the coalition partners asking its candidate to retire from contest in Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly seat. “No such agreement has been reached so far,” he said.
