With the demand to have three more deputy chief ministers resurfacing in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the decision of the Congress high command is final.
Some of the ministers have been pitching for DCM posts to be given to leaders from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities.
Currently, D K Shivakumar from the Vokkaliga community is the only deputy chief minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet.
"Whatever the high command decides is final," Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question.
A section within the Congress is said to be of the opinion that the statement by ministers seeking three more DCM posts was part of a plan by Siddaramaiah's camp to keep Shivakumar in check, amid talks that he might seek the chief minister's post after two-and-a-half years of this government's tenure.
The alleged move apparently seeks to also counter Shivakumar's influence both in the government and party.
Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna, housing minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, public works minister Satish Jarkiholi and a few others -- all considered close to Siddaramaiah -- once again raised the pitch earlier this week for three more deputy CMs.
The Congress had decided that Shivakumar will be “the only” deputy CM amid stiff competition between him and Siddaramaiah for the chief minister's post after the assembly election results in May last year.
It was also said to be a "commitment" made by the Congress leadership to Shivakumar while convincing him to give up his claim for the CM post and to take up the role of DCM.
Seemingly expressing his displeasure over the ministers' demand, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, on Tuesday said the party would respond appropriately.
"You people (media) put in news if someone says something. Why should I say no to people who are happy (by appearing in news)... Let anyone make any demand, the party will respond to them appropriately. Simple," Shivakumar has said.
Asked whether there is a plan in the party to have more DCMs, he said, "You please meet Mallikarjun Kharge (AICC president) and our in-charge general secretary or ask the chief minister."
Meanwhile, leaders in Shivakumar's camp too seem to have started coming out in support of their leader.
Channagiri Congress MLA Basavaraju V Shivaganga urged the party to make Shivakumar the chief minister "and then they can make a dozen people deputy CMs; there won't be any objections".
"Party high command will decide regarding more DCMs, let them (ministers making the demand) be made DCMs if required, we have no objections...
"We have seen Siddaramaiah as CM for five years (in previous tenure) and in this tenure too we have seen him as CM for one-and-a-half years; all legislators have cooperated. It has been a practice in our party that the KPCC president becomes CM, but due to certain developments things changed this time," he said.
When told that the CM post is not vacant, he said, "It is not vacant, similarly the DCM post is also not vacant. The post is occupied (by Shivakumar)...
"Under Shivakumar's leadership as KPCC president, we have won nine Lok Sabha seats this time, from one last time. Making Shivakumar the chief minister will further benefit the party."
Reacting to Shivaganga's statement, Minister Rajanna said he is entitled to his opinion in a democracy, and ultimately it is the party that will decide if Shivakumar has to be made the chief minister.
Defending his demand for having more DCMs, he said, "I will continue to demand. I have demanded before you (media), also there (in the party). There is no situation to go back on that."
Rajanna, also hinting about the need to change the state party president with Lok Sabha polls now over, in response to a question, said that after the assembly polls the party had announced three things -- Siddaramaiah will be chief minister, Shivakumar will be lone DCM, and he will continue as party president till parliament elections. "I will remind the party about the third point."
