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Congress mulling additional dyCM posts amid delay in K’taka cabinet expansion talks
Even as consultations on the long-delayed expansion of the state cabinet failed to take place on Tuesday, people aware of the matter said that the Congress is mulling the creation of two additional deputy chief minister posts for representatives from the Scheduled Tribe and Lingayat communities
Even as consultations on the long-delayed expansion of the state cabinet failed to take place on Tuesday, people aware of the matter said that the Congress is mulling the creation of two additional deputy chief minister posts for representatives from the Scheduled Tribe and Lingayat communities.
The delay comes as the Congress is also preparing to fill the vacant post of Speaker of the legislative assembly before the legislature meets in early August.
State public works minister Satish Jarkiholi said that the proposal was under discussion. “We have heard about this, but the final decision is to be taken by the senior leaders,” he said.
A senior party leader floated the names of senior MLAs HK Patil, BR Patil and CS Nadagouda, along with former minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, as up for consideration. “He (HK Patil) has vast experience in law and Assembly proceedings. Therefore, he is a leading candidate,” the leader said.
Congress leaders said many senior legislators have shown greater interest in ministerial positions than in becoming speaker because the constitutional office requires political neutrality and carries institutional responsibility rather than executive authority.
Chief minister DK Shivakumar and former CM Siddaramaiah travelled to New Delhi on Tuesday along with state Congress chief BK. Hariprasad for consultations with the Congress high command. The meeting, however, did not take place as Rahul Gandhi and several party MPs participated in a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence over police action against students protesting against the NEET paper leak.
“Senior leaders have been asked to come again for the discussion on Saturday or Sunday. The list may be finalised then, and the swearing in will be next week,” Jarkiholi told reporters on Wednesday.
Before returning to Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah held a breakfast meeting in Delhi with Congress legislators including Basavaraj Rayareddy, Ashok Pattan, Rajendra Rajanna, Basavaraj Shivannavar and Tejaswini Gowda. Asked when he would next travel to the national capital, he said the decision rested with the Congress high command.
The postponement marks the second delay in less than two weeks. Earlier consultations also ended without a decision after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge left for Bengaluru on urgent work. Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Surjewala had then said the expansion would take place soon and that the selection of ministers would take into account caste, religion, regional representation and younger leaders.
The exercise is also expected to fill the vacant post of the deputy chairman of the legislative council, while a woman is expected to be inducted as the cabinet currently has no woman minister.
Speaking separately, Shivakumar on Tuesday night said the composition of the expanded cabinet would be decided only after the Congress high command considered regional representation, district balance and the induction of new faces.
“Our party’s high command is supreme. It takes our views before arriving at a decision. The leadership will assess new faces, district representation and regional balance before finalising the cabinet,” he said.
The Karnataka government had secured the Governor’s approval to administer the oath of office to new ministers on Wednesday, but the meeting scheduled to finalise the list could not be held because senior Congress leaders were occupied with protests in the national capital.
“If I get the opportunity today, I am ready to finalise the list today itself. I do not want this issue to be postponed any further,” he said.
