The Hindu : Karnataka News : Dharam Singh to lead coalition government

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 28, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Dharam Singh to lead coalition government

By S. Rajendran

BANGALORE, MAY 27. The first-ever coalition government in the State is expected to take shape with the Congress heading it with the support of the Janata Dal (Secular). The Congress has thus scored over the Janata Dal(S) in the hard bargaining for government formation that went on for 15 days.

Sources in the Congress and the Janata Dal(S) camps told The Hindu that with the power sharing formula yet to be finalised, the senior Congress leader, N. Dharam Singh, would be sworn in as the Chief Minister and the Janata Dal(S) State unit President, Siddaramaiah, would be the Deputy Chief Minister.

The two parties have to first intimate the Governor, T.N. Chaturvedi, on the understanding between them and then stake their claim to form the government. This exercise was yet to be taken up. But discussions were in progress. Depending on the Governor's acceptance of the claim made by the Congress Legislature Party leader, the swearing-in ceremony would be scheduled. It was mentioned that the two parties were keen to have the swearing-in ceremony on Friday or on Monday.

The sources said that the Congress was in touch with the Raj Bhavan seeking information on the availability of the Governor to stake its claim for the formation of the government. Mr. Dharam Singh was expected to meet the Governor with the letter of support from the Janata Dal(S) on his arrival from New Delhi on Friday.

It was said that there would be delay in the swearing-in of the Ministers as the list had to be finalised by the two parties taking into consideration the demands of various regions and the caste factor. There was, however, the likelihood of some senior leaders such as M. Mallikarjuna Kharge H.K. Patil, R.V. Deshpande and D.K. Shivakumar of the Congress and P.G.R. Sindhia and M.P. Prakash of the Janata Dal(S) also being sworn-in with the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister.

The understanding between the two parties was clinched following the talks between Mr. Dharam Singh and the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, in New Delhi. This was later followed up with another round of discussion between the Congress General Secretary and party observer for Karnataka, Vilas Rao Deshmukh, the Political Secretary to the Congress President, Ahmed Patel, and Mr. Dharam Singh and Mr. Deve Gowda.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister-designate called on the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, who is said to have asked him to hold talks with the former Prime Minister and clinch the tie-up.

The 15-day talks between the leaders of the two parties had turned into an ordeal for both the parties, particularly their second-line leaders and the workers of the Janata Dal(S).

The Congress, however, was firm on its stand that its nominee should be the Chief Minister, though it agreed to concede some major portfolios in the Ministry to the Janata Dal(S).

Till late in the evening, Mr. Siddaramaiah, an aspirant for the Chief Minister's post, refused to budge from his stand irrespective of the offer that he could even prefer a Union Cabinet post if he did not want to be the Deputy Chief Minister. Subsequently, H.D. Kumaraswamy, the youngest son of Mr. Deve Gowda, who held discussions with Mr. Siddaramaiah, was successful in convincing him to accept the position.

It was said that the Speaker would also be from the Janata Dal(S), while the Deputy Speaker would be from the Congress.

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