Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jul 3: Congress party has been claiming state for the post of the council chairman in place of D H Shankaramurthy who recently retired. Leaders of JD(S), who had convinced veteran leader, Basavaraj Horatti, to drop the demand for ministerial position and agree to accept the post of the council chairman, are in a fix now.

Although he has currently been given the post of pro-tem chairman, taking into account his seniority, getting elected as chairman, needs the support of Congress MLCs as that party has more members in the council.

Basavaraj Horatti and S R Patil

Siddaramaiah, who has been insistent on giving this position to his close supporter, S R Patil, had also placed his claim for the position of council chairman to his party at the recent meeting of the coordination committee, as it has the highest members in the upper house. Kumaraswamy responded by promising to discuss the matter with his father and party supremo, H D Deve Gowda.

A meeting of leaders of both the parties is expected to be held shortly to sort out the issue. JD(S) can now probably hope to bag the post of the chief whip by sacrificing the post of the council chairman to the Congress. But Horatti may not be agreeable to accept any post other than that of the minister of council chairman. If the post of the chairman slips out of his hands, the party might fill the only vacant post of minister available to it by elevating him as minister.