Karnataka ministry formation: HD Kumaraswamy to meet Sonia, Rahul in Delhi today

BENGALURU: Ministry formation could turn out to be a ticklish challenge for the leadership of Congress and JD(S) with too many aspirants wanting to make the best of coalition compulsions.

The HD Kumaraswamy government is likely to have 2 Deputy Chief Ministers and the Veerashaiva Mahasabha’s demand for a minimum of five berths for the community including a Dy CM post has added to the worries of Kumaraswamy who is set to finalise the composition of the ministry during his talks with Congress top brass Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday. 

Kumaraswamy ruled out any possibility of Karnataka having rotational chief minister under the coalition. The assertion comes in the wake of speculation of two parties sharing the Chief Minister post for two and a half years each.

“I will not give up the Chief Minister’s post for anybody. I will be the Chief Minister for the entire five-year term. Congress has not raised the issue of a rotational CM,” he said.

Kumaraswamy held talks with JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Sunday morning on the ministry formation even as AICC leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, K C Venugopal, former CM Siddaramaiah and KPCC president G Parameshwara had discussions among themselves at a hotel in the city.

Congress is set to have a majority share, about 18 to 20 in the 34-member ministry and JD(S) would have to settle for about 14 as Congress is the bigger partner and the party has offered the CM post to JD(S).

The compulsions of striking a caste and regional balance in the distribution of power is likely to force the coalition partners to have 2 posts of DyCM.

While Parameshwara is almost certain to get one, there is a strong demand from Congress leaders from northern Karnataka to get a DyCM post, preferably belonging to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.

“We have received demand for having two Deputy Chief Minister posts. Party high command will take a final call on this,” Parameshwara said after meeting with party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Venugopal and Ashok Gehlot.

According to party sources, M B Patil, SR Patil and H K Patil are the front-runners for the second Deputy Chief Minister post. Meanwhile, the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha has stepped in to bat for a fair share for the community in the ministry. 

Mahasabha has demanded at least five berths for the community including a Deputy Chief Minister post for its president Shamanuru Shivashankarappa. The Mahasabha has in a letter to Kumaraswamy pointed that “of the 78 seats Congress has won, 17 belong to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community and there are four MLAs of the community in JD(S). They are the largest community among those elected and they should get the biggest share in power,” the letter said.

However, Kumaraswamy has declined to comment on the demands and said, “the composition of the ministry and the issue of having a Deputy Chief Minister post would be finalised at my meeting with 
Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul.”