BENGALURU: Facing flak for the long delay in forming the ministry, the JD(S) and the Congress have hit the fast track to iron out differences on ministerial berths and sharing of portfolios. The cabinet expansion is expected to happen by weekend with the two parties managing to break the deadlock on portfolio allocation.
According to sources, the JD(S) will keep the finance ministry, and will also get other plum portfolios like revenue, public works and co-operation. The Congress has bagged home, industries, water resources, rural development, energy and Bengaluru development. “Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has succeeded in getting the finance portfolio,” a leader privy to the negotiations said.
The Congress, which has a long list of ministerial aspirants, is likely to nominate 17 to 18 members to the ministry and keep 3 to 4 berths vacant. This is part of the strategy to deal with the dissidence that may erupt after the cabinet expansion, likely to take place on Saturday or Monday. According to the power-sharing pact between the two parties, the Congress gets 22 berths and JD(S) 12. The party is likely to keep many seniors out and induct new faces instead.
AICC general secretary in charge of the party affairs in Karnataka K C Venugopal on Thursday held discussions with JD(S) leader Danish Ali, KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other party leaders in Bengaluru to sort out the differences. The JD(S) leadership has already finalised its list of ministers.
“There is no delay in ministry formation. We have to hold discussions as this is a coalition government. It took three months for the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir to form the ministry . I am in constant touch with AICC president Rahul Gandhi. It is wrong to say that the process is being delayed due to his US visit. All the issues will be sorted out within the next 24 hours,” Venugopal said.
“There is no confusion or differences over ministry expansion. Congress and JD(S) leaders are almost ready to complete the process of cabinet expansion and also formation of the coordination committee. A press conference would be held on Friday to share the details,” said Chief Minister Kumaraswamy.
“Distribution of ministerial berths, which has proved to be a daunting task as there are too many aspirants, and the challenge of balancing caste and regional equations have been causing the delay,” a senior Congress leader told TNIE.
The reports of possible dissidence by MLAs who are being seen as vulnerable to BJP’s inducements are said to have forced the Congress leadership to accommodate many new faces. Shivanand S Patil, N H Shivashankara Reddy, who was Deputy Speaker in the last Assembly, Rajashekar Patil Humnabad, B Nagendra, Amaregouda P Bayyapur, R Narendra, Yashvantharaygouda Vittalagouda Patil and two Independents – H Nagesh and R Shanker -- are expected to make it to the cabinet.
The party has taken a stand to draft some senior leaders into party work, denying them ministership. R Ramalinga Reddy, M B Patil, H K Patil, Roshan Baig and Krishna Byre Gowda are among those likely to miss the ministerial bus. M B Patil has emerged as a strong contender for KPCC president's post. D K Shivakumar too is gunning for the post.
S R Patil and Dinesh Gundu Rao, who were pulled out of the ministry into the party work during the previous Siddaramaiah regime, are almost certain to get ministerial berths this time.
WHO GETS WHAT
JD(S): Finance, revenue, PWD, co-operation
Congress: Home, energy, industries, water resources, rural development, Bengaluru development
Congress probables
D K Shivakumar, Rajashekar Patil Humnabad, U T Khader, Shivananda Patil, S R Patil, Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, Amaregouda Bayyapur, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Roopa Shashidhar, N H Shivashankar Reddy, M Krishnappa, K J George, B Nagendra, Satish Jarkiholi, Dinesh Gundu Rao and two independents -- H Nagesh and R Shankar.
JD(S) probables
H D Revanna, H Vishwanath, G T Deve Gowda, Bandeppa Kashempur, Basavaraj Horatti, K Annadani, C N Balakrishna, Sa Ra Mahesh, Gopalaiah, C S Puttaraju, D C Thammanna, M K Shivalinge Gowda, S R Srinivas (Vasu) and BSP MLA Mahesh