The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Three contenders for Deputy Chief Minister’s post

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 10, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Three contenders for Deputy Chief Minister’s post

S. Rajendran and Nagesh Prabhu

Decision after consultation with Deve Gowda

Legislators want Kumaraswamy to take over as Deputy Chief Minister
Janata Dal (Secular) will have 18 Ministers in the Cabinet

Bangalore: Three names have emerged in the Janata Dal (Secular) Legislature Party for the post of Deputy Chief Minister — party’s State unit president, N. Merajuddin Patel, the former Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy and the former Public Works Minister H.D. Revanna.

A final decision is expected to be taken in consultation with the former Prime Minister and president of the Janata Dal (Secular) H.D. Deve Gowda.

Mr. Deve Gowda has, however, stayed away from the Government formation exercise since he is yet to reconcile with the fact that the Janata Dal (Secular) has tied up with the Bharatiya Janata Party yet again.

The present understanding between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the BJP has been crafted by Mr. Kumaraswamy and the Chief Minister-designate B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The former Prime Minister is stated to be keen on Mr. Merajuddin Patel as Deputy Chief Minister since it would help the Janata Dal (Secular) in consolidating minority support. In the meanwhile, legislators of the Janata Dal (Secular), who stood by the party at the time of the recent crisis when a split in the Janata Dal (Secular) looked imminent, have requested Mr. Kumaraswamy to take over as Deputy Chief Minister or else want Mr. Merajuddin Patel rather than Mr. Revanna, the third contender for the post.

The legislators told Mr. Kumaraswamy that he was a capable leader and there was nothing wrong for a former Chief Minister to take over as Deputy Chief Minister.

Mr. Kumaraswamy told The Hindu that he was not keen on the post as he has served as Chief Minister. Mr. Revanna has the backing of H.D. Deve Gowda family apart from a few legislators of his home district of Hassan. The former Transport Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy, whose name initially figured, has now backed out and has said he would abide by the decision of the party high command.

According to Mr. Kumaraswamy, the Janata Dal (Secular) will have 18 Ministers compared with the 16 that it enjoyed in the previous dispensation.

With the optimum size of the council of ministers fixed at 34 following the implementation of the recommendations of the administrative reforms commission and given the nature of the Janata Dal (Secular) demand, the BJP can have only 16 of its legislators as Ministers. “This is fixed and not open to negotiation,” Mr Kumaraswamy said.

Mr. Merajuddin Patel told The Hindu that a meeting of the Janata Dal (Secular) Legislature Party would be held on Sunday. The Janata Dal (Secular) leaders would convey to the party legislators the steps taken by them in Government formation. A final picture on who would be Deputy Chief Minister is expected to be announced at the meeting.

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