A day after a Vokkaliga seer publicly urged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down and make way for his deputy D K Shivakumar, a prominent seer from the dominant Veershaiva-Lingayat community on Friday urged that ministers from his community should be considered in case there is a change in CM post.
Also pitching for Veershaiva-Lingayat ministers to be considered in case additional deputy chief minister posts are created, Srisaila Jagadguru Channa Siddharama Panditaradhya Swamiji pointed out that the community votes were decisive for Congress to form government in the state.
"Karnataka state political developments and news that is emerging are in discussion. In case there is a change in the chief minister post and if additional deputy CM posts are created -- in such a situation, I urge the party (Congress) and government to give priority to ministers from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community," the seer said.
Speaking to reporters in Chikkodi, he said, "The reason is, during the government formation, Veerashaiva-Lingayat votes were decisive. So Veerashaiva-Lingayat ministers should be given priority. There are ministers like -- Eshwar Khandre, M B Patil, S S Mallikarjun -- such people should be considered and their experience should be utilised. I urge that they should be given an opportunity."
Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji on Thursday had raised the pitch for Shivakumar as CM at the Kempegowda Jayanti event to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bengaluru's founder, in the presence of both Siddaramaiah and the deputy chief minister on the dais.
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, is a Vokkaliga -- a dominant community in the southern parts of the state. Currently, he is the only deputy chief minister.
This development comes at a time when there is growing demand within the Siddaramaiah cabinet to have three more deputy chief ministers -- from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities.
There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post after the declaration of assembly election results in May last year, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the deputy chief minister.
There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.
Shivakumar has made no secret of his ambition to become chief minister, while Siddaramaiah had sought public support during the Lok Sabha polls so that the Congress wins the maximum number of seats in the state, which would strengthen his position.
A section within the Congress is of the opinion that the statement by the ministers seeking three more Deputy CMs, was part of a plan by Siddaramaiah's camp to keep Shivakumar in check, amid talks he might seek the CM post after two-and-half years of this government's tenure, and to counter his influence both in the government and party.
