HYDERABAD: The Congress leadership, which is leaving no stone unturned to keep its allies TDP and TJS in good humour, is now enticing stakeholders within and outside the party with deputy chief minister posts. That is, if all goes well for the Grand Alliance, the Telangana No. 2 man’s post may be shared by four persons.
Assuming that a leader from the Reddy community will be made chief minister if the tie-up comes to power, the Congress high command is likely to appoint a Muslim and an SC leader from the party as deputy chief ministers to keep its traditional support base intact.
If a Dalit leader is selected to head the State, as is being speculated in some quarters, a leader from the Reddy community may secure the second most coveted seat in the State. While Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Damodar Rajanarasimha are top contenders for the deputy CM’s post planned for SC leaders, Mohd Shabbir Ali is the frontrunner in the minority community.
“Having deputy chief ministers representing two communities is an age-old practice followed across States to ensure social justice and balance of power. Therefore, the Congress high command will consider a scheduled caste and a minority leader for the deputy chief minister’s job. Even now, Telangana has two deputy chief ministers under TRS rule. In all probability, Congress may not just continue the tradition, but better it,” a senior leader from the party said on Monday. Apart for humouring its own leaders, the Congress top brass is also enticing TJS and TDP leaders with the deputy chief minister’s post in a bid to put together a formidable alliance to take on the ruling TRS.
A BC leader from the TDP may be appointed deputy chief minister, thus ensuring that the tie-up becomes a true rainbow alliance, the source said. Despite the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh, the TDP, which caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently dubbed “an Andhra party”, has been able to maintain its backward classes support base.
The position is also likely to be offered to M Kodandaram, the president of TJS which has been driving a hard bargain with the Congress in seat sharing. In case the offer is declined, the Congress may agree to make Kodandaram the chairman of a committee formed to implement promises made to youth and Telangana martyrs. Besides Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have two deputy chief ministers.