BENGALURU — Pressure is mounting on AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge from senior Congress leaders in Karnataka to create more posts of the Deputy Chief Minister.
The AICC has announced only one Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) post for Karnataka which will be taken up by the party’s state president, D.K. Shivakumar.
Some of the senior leaders who have made the demand are G. Parameshwara, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Satish Jarkiholi, M.B. Patil and Ramalinga Reddy.
Parameshwara said that the party should consider him for the post, adding that it should also consider the request of oppressed classes who have voted for Congress.
“It is better to consider the request in this regard before the community responds,” he said.
The supporters of Ramalinga Reddy and community leaders have claimed that their leader is more senior than Shivakumar and Chief Minister designate Siddaramaiah.
They further asserted that Ramalinga Reddy won more elections than Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah and hence he should be considered for the post of Deputy Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, former Union Minister K.H. Muniyappa said that for the past 20 years, the demand was being made for a Dalit Chief Minister.
“This time the community has to be given a Deputy Chief Minister’s post,” he said
According to sources, he is lobbying for a top portfolio in the new Karnataka government for his daughter Roopa Shashidhar, an MLA from Kolar district.
Muniyappa won from the Devanahalli seat this time.
The sources also said that senior Congress leaders have reached New Delhi and are lobbying for top portfolios.
Ediga Mahamandala President Pranavananda Swamiji has urged that Billava and Ediga communities should be given proper representation.
The community leaders should get the excise portfolio, Swamiji added. — IANS
