Bengaluru: After successfully stitching up a post-poll tie up with JD(S) to oust the B.S. Yeddyurappa (BSY) Government, the Congress now seems to be in a dilemma over the Deputy Chief Minister’s (Dy.CM) post.
Soon after the Congress-JD(S) tie up, speculations were rife that KPCC President Dr. G. Parameshwara will become the Dy.CM. But now as there are too many aspirants for the post, the Congress is said to be working out a formula to have two Dy.CMs. While the Veerashaiva-Lingayat lobby is working overtime to have one of its senior MLA as Dy.CM, another group is said to be backing D.K. Shivakumar, who played a key role in keeping the Congress flock intact ahead of BSY’s Floor Test held on Saturday.
With the Veerashaiva-Lingayat Community said to be peeved over Lingayat leader BSY being prevented from occupying the CM’s post, the Congress is said to be ruling on appointing a Veerashaiva-Lingayat senior MLA as the Dy.CM.
However, lobbying has intensified among community leaders with former Minister M.B. Patil, senior Legislators S.R. Patil and H.K. Patil, vying with each other for the plum post.
Meanwhile, the Akhila Bharatiya Veerashaiva Mahasabha has urged CM-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy to make senior most MLA from Davanagere Shymanuru Shivashankarappa as the Dy.CM.
Even as lobbying is picking up for the Dy.CM’s post, Dr. Parameshwara and former CM Siddharamaiah have said it is the party High Command which will take a final call on the issue.
In a desperate move to thwart the BJP the single largest party in Karnataka from coming to power the Congress has committed harakiri by accepting the claim of Mr.H.D.Kumaraswamy to become the next Chief Minister offering him unconditional support.The JD(S) is out make the most of such a meek surrender from the national party in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections of 2019. What is worse the Congress may be dished out a raw deal in Cabinet making and as regards calling the shots under the new regime. In case the sorry state of affairs continues Congress President Rahul Gandhi may have to eat his words of becoming the Prime Minister of India after 2019 Lok Sabha polls and instead may have to reconcile with the role of kingmaker as his party is presently doing in Karnataka.