State might have two Deputy CMs

Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G. Parameshwara, who is a contender for the post of the Deputy Chief Minister, said on Sunday that there has been proposals for two Deputy CMs. Sources say that there are more than two contenders for the post. In case the post is given to Parameshwara, then the CM and the Deputy CM will be from South Karnataka.

Consequently, there is a demand from Lingayat legislators of North Karnataka that the post be given to one of them. The names of former Ministers M.B. Patil, S.R. Patil and H.K. Patil have been suggested. Also, a representation has been submitted by the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha that the post be given to the senior member of its community Shamanur Shivashankarappa. However, the final decision will be taken after talks between JD(S) State chief H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy has declared that he would complete the full Chief Ministerial term of five years, quashing rumours that the term might be shared between the coalition partners. He also said that the BJP government at the Centre were threatening the Congress-JD(S) combine through the Enforcement Directorate planning a raid on the party leaders. He added that there was no question of “cowing down under pressure”. He also denied reports of the Congress-JD(S) contesting a common candidate in the bypolls in Jayanagar and that one of the coalition partners had asked its candidate to withdraw the nomination in the Rajarajeshwari Assembly seat.