India
Congress sources say, the development of making Kharge the Chief Minister was initiated just a few days after Congress realised that few key decisions like transfer of IPS and IAS officers were taken without consulting deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara or other senior Congress leaders.
Senior Congressman and opposition leader in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, is being pushed as the Chief Minuster candidate to head the coalition government in the coming months, sources tell MyNation.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is said to have come out with an idea that can steamroll his adversaries within the Congress, JD(S) and the BJP. According to sources, it is he, who has discussed this idea with central leaders.
Congress sources say, the development of making Kharge the Chief Minister was initiated just a few days after Congress realised that few key decisions like transfer of IPS and IAS officers were taken without consulting deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara or other senior Congress leaders.
"Mallikarjun Kharge's name as the Chief Minister in the coming days will make Congress look strong. Refusing to budge will make JD(S) look like an enemy of dalits and backward class. BJP cannot offer support to the JD(S) to form the government not can it form one on its own as the party will be branded as anti-dalit. And on the other hand, Siddaramaiah will become much stronger," said a source.
Agreeing with the idea of Kharge as Chief Minister material, Congress spokesperson Kengal Renu says, Kharge is the one who fought for the special package for Hyderabad-Karnataka region to ensure its development.
"He deserves to be the chief minister not just because he belongs to a particular community, but this is based on pure merit. Right now, he is leading the opposition brigade at the Centre and only after 2019 Lok Sabha elections, such discussions may come up," stressed Renu.
The JD(S), which is enjoying the power with very less number of seats in the just-concluded assembly election, is on cloud nine by taking lion's share of key portfolios including that of Chief Minister’s post. The leaders say Congress initially stitched the partnership without any conditions and agreed to give the Chief Minister’s post to JD(S) for the entire term.
"No one will ask for the Chief Minister’s post from the Congress. The central leaders and senior Congressmen met JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda immediately after assembly results and offered their support without any conditions. Kumaraswamy will only remain as the Chief Minister for the full term. In case after Lok Sabha results, any such proposals come, we will have to discuss," said TA Sharavana, JD(S) MLC.
He further added that the BJP failed to address issues like Cauvery, Mahadayi, farm loan waiver and Kodagu floods. 17 MPs from BJP did not speak on behalf of the State, he added, the JD(S)-Congress combine will defeat BJP in Lok Sabha election in Karnataka.
However, BJP Karnataka unit said it is no way concerned with these developments taking place in the coalition and they are not worried about who they decide to make the Chief Minister. "We have no problem if Kharge is named as the Chief Minister in the coming days. BJP will not stoop to the level of destabilising the government," said S Prakash, BJP Spokesperson.
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