Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Jun 3: The decision by the Congress high command to allow H D Kumaraswamy of JD (S) to be the chief minister for the full term of five years in the coalition government has reportedly not gone down well with many leaders within the Congress party. It is learnt that leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge have questioned whether such a big sacrifice was necessary.

Congress, being the national party, allowed the regional party JD (S) to take up the chief ministerial position, though it secured less than 40 seats. In addition, important ministerial portfolios were also given to JD (S). However, Congress leaders unhappy about the agreement are reportedly now questioning whether it was right to forego the wishes of CM aspirants in their own party for the sake of the coalition.

It is learnt that the leaders of Congress party are also questioning the necessity of declaring in an agreement form of allowing H D Kumaraswamy to be the chief minister for the full term of five years. "What kind of message does this send to party workers? Even though now there is a coalition government, the we need to be organized and prepared for the future. When the party has won 79 seats, it needs more power in order to be strengthened," said some of the members who participated in the KPCC office bearers' meeting held on Saturday, June 2.

As per the sources, it is said that the leaders of the Congress party who were in the KPCC meeting pacified the disgruntled members of the party and clarified that this decision was not official. Once the Lok Sabha elections are over, decision will be taken after officially discussing the issue. However, on the other hand, it is learnt that several leaders including senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge have expressed their objection to this decision of the high command.

It is gathered that the leaders are of the opinion that if JD (S) occupies the CM position for five years, it might harm the existence of Congress in the state. "It would have been better if there was an agreement of 30:30 rule in sharing the power. What is the intention of agreeing to all the demands of JD (S)?" was the question posed to the high command.

Pressure on seniors by juniors

It is learnt that junior MLAs are pressuring the state leaders to keep seniors who have held the position of ministers for two terms out of the cabinet and use them for party organizational activities. There is a demand that the senior leaders like R V Deshpande, H K Patil, Ramalinga Reddy, Roshan Baig and K J George be kept out of the cabinet and should be used for party activities ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.

It is also alleged that senior leaders, who are limited to their constituency and who cannot work for the victory of other MLAs, do not care for the workers of the party once they get the ministerial berth. It is alleged that they do not get involved in party activities, therefore juniors have demanded that the new faces must be given the opportunities.

Senior MLAs like Ramalinga Reddy, D K Shivakumar, M Krishnappa and Shivshankar Reddy are competing under the Vokkaliga quota. If the ministerial position is given to all of them, then juniors like Krishna Byregowda and Dr Sudhakar will miss the opportunity in the cabinet.

In the Lingayat quota if ministerial berth is given to people like H K Patil, M B Patil, Shamanur Shivshankarappa and S R Patil, then it will be difficult for younger MLAs like B C Patil, Basavaraj Patil Humnabad and Shivanand Patil to get any position in the cabinet.

Under the Brahmin quota if R V Deshpande gets the nod, then Dinesh Gundu Rao will have to be kept out.

Under the minority quota, if Roshan Baig becomes the minister, then people like Zameer Ahmed, Rahim Khan and U T Khader will be deprived of the ministerial berth.