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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.Ok. Shivakumar throughout a press meet on the KPCC workplace in Bengaluru. File
| Photograph Credit score: The Hindu
The demand for 3 extra deputy chief ministers in Karnataka, which first got here to the fore three months in the past, has come again to hang-out the Congress authorities. If it persists, it may change into a headache for the get together forward of the Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress, which was voted to energy in Could 2023, had two senior leaders, Siddaramaiah and D.Ok. Shivakumar, vying for the highest job. The problem was resolved after the get together excessive command intervened and made Mr. Siddaramaiah Chief Minister and Mr. Shivakumar his deputy. Mr. Shivakumar was given portfolios of his alternative and was additionally allowed to retain the publish of State Congress president.
Simply as Mr. Shivakumar started to emerge instead energy centre throughout the ruling get together, just a few ministers loyal to the Chief Minister publicly began demanding three extra deputy chief ministers. This ask slowly died down three months in the past. However when the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) appointed two deputy chief ministers within the newly shaped governments in three Hindi heartland States final month, the demand resurfaced in Karnataka.
The ministers elevating this demand declare that the creation of three extra posts of deputy chief minister would assist “steadiness castes” forward of the Lok Sabha polls and assist the get together win at the very least 20 seats in comparison with the one seat it gained in 2019. As Mr. Shivakumar belongs to the Vokkaliga neighborhood, the demand is to nominate deputies belonging to the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, minority and Veerashaiva-Lingayat teams to consolidate the get together’s place in opposition to the BJP-JD(S) alliance.
Cooperation Minister Ok.N. Rajanna, who first made the demand, cited the appointments of a number of deputy chief ministers in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh by the BJP. Mr. Rajanna’s proposal has been endorsed by Residence Minister G. Parameshwara, who earlier served because the Deputy Chief Minister. Some Ministers apparently held a few ‘dinner conferences’ to debate the problem. The primary assembly was held at Mr. Parameshwara’s home in October 2023, and attended by the Chief Minister. The second was held in early January 2024 and was attended by Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa, Meals Minister Ok.H. Muniyappa, and Mr. Parameshwara, who’re all from SC communities; Mr. Rajanna and Minister of Public Works Division Satish Jarkiholi from the Valmiki/Nayak ST neighborhood; and Well being Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, a Brahmin. Mr. Siddaramaiah didn’t attend this assembly however many of the ministers who did are thought of to be near him.
The demand for extra deputy chief ministers has clearly not gone down properly with Mr. Shivakumar and the get together excessive command. Mr. Shivakumar has maintained that solely the excessive command can take choices on such issues. “Everybody has to work collectively to win parliamentary elections, that’s it,” he mentioned.
When All India Congress Committee (AICC) Common Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, visited Bengaluru not too long ago, the ministers positioned their demand earlier than him. Each Mr. Surjewala and AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge have brushed apart the proposal. “There isn’t any proposal to create further deputy chief ministers earlier than the AICC,” Mr. Kharge mentioned and maintained that elevating such calls for forward of the final elections was inappropriate. The AICC chief argued that the federal government’s focus must be on offering good administration and addressing individuals’s issues. Mr. Surjewala instructed the ministers to deal with efficient supply of the 5 ensures being applied by the federal government, to garner votes. However the ministers don’t appear to have completely given up on their demand.
Although the deputy chief minister’s publish has no point out within the Structure, it’s a sought-after publish today because the individual holding the publish is seen because the second-in-command and due to this fact a pure successor. Karnataka has had multiple deputy chief minister below each Congress-led and BJP-led governments. Mr. Siddaramaiah too served because the Deputy Chief Minister twice up to now.
For now, the Congress excessive command appears to be in no temper to concede the demand; doing so would undermine the significance of the get together’s “trouble-shooter”, Mr. Shivakumar. However dealing with the scenario earlier than the elections goes to be a problem for the get together.
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