Amid lobbying, Cabinet conundrum awaits Congress government

While the Congress is swedging to choose a chief minister, the party is under immense pressure from lawmakers and socio-religious groups who have started demanding Cabinet positions.

Several MLAs such as C Puttarangashetty, Vinay Kulkarni and Ajay Singh have publicly expressed their desire to become ministers in the new Congress government.

The Sunni Ulema Board has demanded that the Congress appoint a Muslim as deputy chief minister besides giving five Cabinet positions to MLAs from the community.

“Before the election itself, we said there must be a Muslim deputy CM,” Karnataka Wakf Board chairperson Muhammad Shafi Saadi said. “There must be five ministers with good portfolios like home, revenue and education,” he said.

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According to Saadi, 67-72 MLAs won solely due to Muslim votes. “We’ve given much to the Congress. Now it’s time to take back. The Congress is duty-bound to express gratitude to the Muslim community,” Saadi said. “We must actually ask for the CM, but we’re asking for deputy CM,” he said, adding that there are 90 lakh Muslims in Karnataka.

There are demands from Chamarajpet MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan’s supporters that he must be made deputy CM.

With 37 Lingayat MLAs, there is pressure on the Congress to provide adequate representation to the community in the Cabinet. Senior leader MB Patil’s name is being talked about for a deputy CM position.

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The Karnataka Reddyjana Sangha has issued a statement urging the Congress to give “appropriate representation” to 12 MLAs belonging to this community — Ramalinga Reddy, HK Patil, NS Subba Reddy, NH Kona Reddy and others.

It is said that there are over 60 Congress MLAs who have ministerial ambitions.

The Congress will also have to make space in the Cabinet to induct several senior lawmakers who were ministers in the earlier Siddaramaiah-led government — RV Deshpande, Basavaraj Rayareddi, HC Mahadevappa and others.