KALABURAGI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the party was yet to take a final call on key issues related to the formation of the new Karnataka government, including the size of the Cabinet to be sworn in alongside chief minister-designate D K Shivakumar on Wednesday and the number of deputy chief minister posts to be created.
Speaking to reporters at the airport here, the AICC leader said the Congress was proceeding cautiously as Karnataka is scheduled to face Assembly elections within the next 24 months.
"We have to be careful while forming the Cabinet and deciding on the posts of deputy chief ministers. There should be no room for dissatisfaction after the Cabinet is constituted," he said.
On the issue of appointing deputy chief ministers, Kharge said several factors were being considered and that the Congress high command was evaluating all aspects before taking a decision. "Everything will be known by Wednesday morning," he said.
Kharge indicated that in the first phase, around eight to ten ministers could be sworn in along with Shivakumar, while the remaining Cabinet berths would be filled within a fortnight or a month.
On the appointment of a new Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, Kharge said the party was searching for a suitable candidate who could unite all sections of the organisation and lead the Congress to a majority in the next Assembly elections.
"We have to consider caste equations as well while selecting the new KPCC president," he said.
Emphasising the need for unity within the party, Kharge said the new chief minister and the KPCC chief should work in close coordination, carry everyone along, and move swiftly to implement the promises made by the Congress to win the confidence of the people.
