Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Kalaburagi/Bengaluru: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday virtually junked the idea of appointing more deputy chief ministers in Karnataka ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, with the veteran asking his party colleagues to focus on governance.
The demand to appoint three more deputies is widely seen as a plan to put a counterbalance in place for DK Shivakumar, who is currently the only one holding the position.
“It hasn’t come to me,” Kharge said when asked about the demand to create more deputies in Karnataka. He even discouraged discussions about this.
“This is just speculation. During election time, such matters shouldn’t be raised repeatedly. Our focus should be governance, addressing people’s problems, fulfilling our promises and implementing our guarantees,” he said. “So, until we reach our goal, such (discussions) shouldn’t happen.”
Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna and Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, loyalists of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, have argued that having more deputies would electorally help the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. With Shivakumar belonging to the Vokkaliga community, the demand is to appoint deputies belonging to the SC/ST, minority and Veerashaiva-Lingayat groups to consolidate the party’s position. This was endorsed by even Home Minister G Parameshwara.
At a late Monday evening meeting with AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, some ministers broached the topic of having more deputies.
It is learnt that Shivakumar is not in favour of having more deputy chief ministers as that could cut his clout.
“We are not saying Shivakumar should be removed. We’re saying that there are demands from communities to have more deputies. We won’t disturb Shivakumar. He will be there as the deputy CM,” Satish Jarkiholi said earlier in the day.
Rajanna, too, maintained his stand. “Most ministers are of the strong opinion that deputy chief ministerial positions should be given to other communities so that it will electorally benefit the Congress,” he said. “Every community desires to have a share in power.”