BENGALURU: Besides advocating that he continue in his post, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to propose the creation of two more posts of deputy chief ministers when he meets the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday.
His sympathiser, AICC General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, has ensured the meeting with Rahul in the new AICC office. “He (Siddaramaiah) knows that DCM D K Shivakumar could not be budged as KPCC president as long as Mallikarjuna Kharge is AICC president. Hence, in the interest of the party, he will propose the creation of more DCM posts ahead of polls to the local bodies, including ZPs/TPs,” a Congress leader said.
Sidddaramaiah and Rahul will have a one-on-one meeting for about half an hour during which the former will strongly present his case to continue as CM after two-and-a-half years of his tenure. “Siddaramaiah’s continuation will depend on Rahul’s decision and his Man Friday Venugopal will have a say,” said another Congress leader.
Siddarmaiah would also explain to Rahul the advantages of creating two more DCM posts -- one for a member from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community and another for an SC. The issue of DCM and KPCC president D K Shivakumar’s alleged statement on changing the constitution to grant 2B quota for muslims had embarrassed the high command and on that, Siddaramaiah is likely to capitalise.
Besides being DCM, Shivakumar holding key portfolios — water resources and Bengaluru development —has not gone well with the CM’s supporters who want someone else as KPCC president. “Kharge, who is both LoP in Rajya Sabha and AICC president, will back Shivakumar to continue as KPCC president in the interest of the party in the local bodies polls,” a source said. It has to be seen whether Siddaramaiah discusses the alleged honey-trap attempt on his cabinet colleague K N Rajanna and the alleged ‘supari’ killing plot on the latter’s MLC son Rajendra.