BENGALURU: The BS Yediyurappa-led dispensation, which will have to placate the rebel group and keep the BJP ranks in good humour at the same time, maybe looking at having one or more deputy chief ministers.
While a source in the BJP indicated that there may be two deputy CMs, another indicated there may be more, depending on the deal struck with the rebels. A final decision could be taken only after Monday in consultation with the central leaders.
Topping the list is R Ashoka, a Vokkaliga leader and Bengaluru city MLA with considerable influence, especially since BJP will now be looking to wrest control in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.
The BJP has done well in the traditional Vokkaliga strongholds in Old Mysore region and will need a strong Vokkaliga face. Ashoka has earlier been Deputy CM, handling the Home and Transport portfolios.
The other prominent Vokkaliga face, C T Ravi, may be preferred for organisational work as the BJP state president’s post will fall vacant.
The other strong contender is K S Eshwarappa who hails from the backward Kuruba community and has previously been deputy CM. The BJP needs a strong backward community leader to counter Siddaramaiah and their best has been Eshwarappa. But since he too hails from Shivamogga district like Yediyurappa, it may work against him.
Valmiki Nayaka (ST) leader B Sriramulu, who is popular in Ballari and most parts of Hyderabad-Karnataka and some parts of central Karnataka like Chitradurga, could also stand a chance. Sriramulu did well to wrest the Ballari Lok Sabha seat from the Congress by campaigning extensively in most of these places.
But the poor show in the assembly polls from Ballari and Bidar may scuttle his chances. Though the possibility of a Lingayat being named Deputy CM look slim, Jagadish Shettar could be a claimant for the post, considering that he was Chief Minister, Opposition leader and Speaker and is quite popular in Hubballi-Dharwad.
The BJP did well to win all the reserved Scheduled Caste seats in the recent LS polls — Gulbarga, Bijapur, Chitradurga, Kolar and Chamarajnagar —and rewarding an SC leader will be crucial for the party. The name of senior BJP leader Govind Karjol is doing the rounds while Arvind Limbavali may be a less likely choice.
The Brahmin community, although numerically less, is quite influential and a leader from the community may be accommodated as Deputy CM as it has been one of their longstanding demands. Senior leader Suresh Kumar (Rajajinagar) and Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri (Sirsi) seem to be among the probables while S A Ramdas, who was medical education minister, may not be considered.