Bengaluru: As the tussle for the next Karnataka Chief Minister intensifies, the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha has written to the Congress high command demanding the coveted post for the community.
In its letter addressed to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Mahasabha said that their demand has to be considered as 34 elected MLAs from the Congress are Lingayats.
It also said that the party had given tickets to 46 candidates, of which 34 won.
“The community has played a major role in electing MLAs in other 50 seats. The community has shifted its loyalty from BJP to Congress,” says the letter.
Meanwhile, other community groups have also come out and demanded the Deputy Chief Minister’s post for their leaders.
Belagavi North MLA Asif Sait has demanded that the post should be given to KPCC Working President Satish Jarkiholi.
“In north Karnataka, Satish Jarkiholi is the leader. He should be given the post. Giving the Deputy Chief Minister post to senior leader Zameer Ahmad Khan is left to the discretion of the party,” Sait stated.
Meanwhile, the supporters of Ramalinga Reddy, senior Congress leader demanded that he should be given the post.
The Karnataka Reddy Jana Sangha Director pointed out that Ramalinga Reddy is the senior most leader of the community.
“Ramalinga Reddy has been elected to legislature more times than Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. He deserves to be the Deputy Chief Minister,” he said.
When Yediyurappa was the Chief Minister, he made three community members Ministers.
“After him, only one cabinet berth was given and the BJP has paid for it. Ramalinga Reddy should be made DCM and two members of the community should be made ministers,” he demanded.
“We have written a letter to the Congress high command, if they do not respond, the party will face stiff resistance from the community in coming days.”
Muslim community members staged a protest in Gangavathi of Koppal district demanding the post for Congress leader Zameer Ahmad Khan.
Shivakumar meets Kharge, Siddaramaiah next in line:
Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Tuesday met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here and discussed the modalities of government formation in the southern state.
Shivakumar, who arrived here in the morning from Bengaluru, reached Kharge’s residence a little after 5 pm and held deliberations over the post of chief minister of Karnataka.
He left after a 30-minute meeting and did not speak to the media.
Shivakumar along with former chief minister Siddaramaiah are frontrunners for the top post after the party staged a stunning victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls by winning 135 out of 224 seats.
Both the leaders have staked claim on the chief minister’s post and are indulging in hectic lobbying.
Shivakumar vs Siddaramaiah:
Shivakumar has been openly expressing his Chief Ministerial aspirations at various events, especially the ones connected with Vokkaligas. He had asked the dominant community, to which he belongs, not to lose out an opportunity with him as the KPCC president, while pointing out that S M Krishna was the last Vokkaliga to lead the party in the polls and then went on to become the CM in 1999.
In fact in this election, the Congress’ has significantly improved its electoral performance in the Vokkaliga dominated Old Mysuru region (south Karnataka) and that credit largely goes to Shivakumar.
Also, there have been instances in the party that whoever has successfully led as KPCC President in election, have been the natural choice to be the CM, like in the case of Krishna and Veerendra Patil.
While the 60-year-old Shivakumar is considered to be “troubleshooter” for the Congress party, Siddaramaiah has a pan-Karnataka appeal.
If Siddaramaiah, who joined Congress after being expelled from JD(S), gets elected as the CLP leader, this will be his second stint as the Chief Minister from the party after having occupied the coveted post for five years between 2013-18. Shivakumar had served as Minister in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet.
Siddaramaiah, who has seniority on his side, is known for able administrative skills, and has the experience of having run a successful tenure as the Chief Minister. He also enjoys the distinction of having presented 13 budgets for the state.
Being a mass leader, he has considerable clout among the AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits). The mega 75th birthday bash of Siddaramaiah held last year in Davanagere, was largely seen as an attempt by him and his loyalists to project him as the future CM.
Seventy-five-year-old Siddaramaiah who has already announced that this was his last election, has been maintaining that the Chief Minister will be elected by the newly elected MLAs in consultation with the party high command.
There are also other contenders for the post like former Deputy Chief Minister and ex KPCC President G Parameshwara and veteran leader and seven-time MP K H Muniyappa– both Dalits, and M B Patil– a Lingayat.
According to party sources, the opinion of newly elected legislators will be sought and depending on the outcome, they might be asked to vote to elect their leader, if need arises.
