Karnataka Deputy Cm Race Ahead Of Dk Shivakumar Swearing In

Days ahead of the swearing-in of Karnataka’s new chief minister, D K Shivakumar, at least two caste groups are clamouring to appoint a deputy chief minister from their communities. Lobbying has also intensified for Cabinet positions, with a few legislators planning Delhi trips to meet the Congress leadership and argue their case.

Siddaramaiah, who continues as the caretaker chief minister until his successor is appointed, had only one deputy chief minister: Shivakumar. On Saturday, several seers from the influential Lingayat community urged the Congress to appoint Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre as the deputy chief minister in the new Cabinet. Khandre, who hails from Bidar district, is also president of the Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the Lingayat community’s apex body. His son Sagar Khandre is the MP for the Bidar Lok Sabha constituency.

“In the previous election, Lingayats backed the Congress, resulting in 36 MLAs being elected from the community. As president of the Mahasabha, I have asked the high command to provide appropriate representation for the community,” Eshwar Khandre said, responding to calls for his appointment as the deputy chief minister.

Supporters of Home Minister G Parameshwara, a Dalit leader, staged a demonstration urging the party to make him the deputy chief minister. They contend that Parameshwara narrowly missed the chief minister post twice in the past and should at least be appointed deputy chief minister in the new Cabinet. He served as deputy chief minister in the Congress-JD(S) government in 2018-19.

Supporters of Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa have petitioned AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and R S Surjewala over the issue. They demonstrated at the airport when the two leaders arrived on Saturday to elect the Congress Legislature Party leader.

Several other names, based on various caste combinations, are also doing the rounds. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, meanwhile, told reporters that the party leadership had yet to receive any proposal to appoint deputy chief ministers.

As a reshuffle is on the cards, several aspirants, such as Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar, travelled to Delhi on Sunday to meet the Congress leadership. His trip, according to sources, was to preserve his Cabinet position.

Both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are expected to travel to Delhi on Monday to finalise the list of Cabinet ministers who will take their oaths along with the new chief minister on June 3. Speculations are that 11 ministers could be sworn in, with the remaining Cabinet berths likely to be finalised shortly after.

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