Mangaluru, apparently expressing displeasure against ministers demanding three more deputy chief ministerial posts in Karnataka, state Congress president DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said the party would respond to them appropriately.
Currently, Shivakumar of the Vokkaliga community is the only MCD in the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet.
Some of the cabinet ministers have been pushing for MCD posts to be given to leaders from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities. "You (the media) publish news if someone says something. Why should say no to people who are happy (to appear in the news)... Let anyone make any demand, will the party respond to them appropriately? "Simple." Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question.
When asked if there is a plan in the party to have more deputy chief ministers, he said, "Please meet Mallikarjun Kharge (AICC president) and our general secretary in-charge or ask the prime minister."
A section within the Congress is said to be of the view that the ministers' statement seeking three more MCD posts was part of a plan by Siddaramaiah's camp to keep Shivakumar in check, amid talks that he may seek the CM's post. after two and two. half a year of this government's tenure, and to counter its influence in both the government and the party.The ministers (Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna, Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, and some others) who have submitted proposals for three more MCDs, are considered close to Siddaramaiah.
The Congress had decided that Shivakumar will be “the only” deputy CM amid a tough competition between him and Siddaramaiah for the chief minister's post after the assembly election results in May last year.
It was also said to be a "compromise" made by Congress leaders to Shivakumar while convincing him to give up his claim for the CM post and take up the role of deputy chief minister. When asked if he or his brother and former MP DK Suresh would contest the Channapatna assembly elections, Shivakumar, who has been repeatedly visiting the segment recently, did not want to give any direct answer but indicated that he might contest.
"My brother is not interested as people have decided to give Suresh a rest (due to the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls), but there is a desire to work for the party as people there (Channapatna) have trusted in us and has given us (the Congress) about 85,000 votes (in the Lok Sabha polls. We have to save them," he said.
People have given power to Congress in the state by giving it 136 seats (including independents), he said. "We have to save the people there (in Channapatna). Nothing has happened there, even though important people have enjoyed power from there, people have the feeling that nothing has been done for them. That's why we want do something. We have also done before "When I was minister, a part of Channapatna was under my constituency. It is the right time to serve the people and the poor there."The Channapatna bypoll is being held because the seat fell vacant after the election of its representative, JD(S) leader and now Union minister, H. D. Kumaraswamy, to the Lok Sabha in the recent elections.
The Election Commission is yet to announce the by-election schedule for this assembly seat.
While there was earlier talk that Suresh, who lost in the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha segment, could be fielded from Channapatna, speculation is now rife in political circles, especially in the grand old party, that Shivakumar could enter the fray for avenge his brother's defeat and restore his influence in the region.According to sources, if Shivakumar contests and wins from Channapatna, he may vacate the Kanakapura assembly seat he currently represents so that Suresh can contest.
Both Channapatna and Kanakapura are part of the Vokkaliga-dominated Ramanagara district, which falls under the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment from where Kumaraswamy's brother-in-law and eminent cardiologist CN Manjunath won as a BJP candidate as part of a deal between the partners of the alliance, the BJP. and JD(S). Manjunath defeated Suresh.
Reacting to Kumaraswamy's statement that Shivakumar, who had not done anything for Channapatna so far but was now visiting the constituency, the MCD asked, "How does he (Kumaraswamy) know that I have not done anything for Channapatna?" Before Kumaraswamy saw Channapatna, I had seen it. He came to politics very late. It came 10 years after I entered politics. I came in 1985 and had contested against his father (former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda) in the assembly elections. Kumaraswamy came in 1995 or 96 and contested for Parliament. "I'm from that district," he added.
Currently, Shivakumar of the Vokkaliga community is the only MCD in the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet.
Some of the cabinet ministers have been pushing for MCD posts to be given to leaders from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities. "You (the media) publish news if someone says something. Why should say no to people who are happy (to appear in the news)... Let anyone make any demand, will the party respond to them appropriately? "Simple." Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question.
When asked if there is a plan in the party to have more deputy chief ministers, he said, "Please meet Mallikarjun Kharge (AICC president) and our general secretary in-charge or ask the prime minister."
A section within the Congress is said to be of the view that the ministers' statement seeking three more MCD posts was part of a plan by Siddaramaiah's camp to keep Shivakumar in check, amid talks that he may seek the CM's post. after two and two. half a year of this government's tenure, and to counter its influence in both the government and the party.The ministers (Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna, Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, and some others) who have submitted proposals for three more MCDs, are considered close to Siddaramaiah.
The Congress had decided that Shivakumar will be “the only” deputy CM amid a tough competition between him and Siddaramaiah for the chief minister's post after the assembly election results in May last year.
It was also said to be a "compromise" made by Congress leaders to Shivakumar while convincing him to give up his claim for the CM post and take up the role of deputy chief minister. When asked if he or his brother and former MP DK Suresh would contest the Channapatna assembly elections, Shivakumar, who has been repeatedly visiting the segment recently, did not want to give any direct answer but indicated that he might contest.
"My brother is not interested as people have decided to give Suresh a rest (due to the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls), but there is a desire to work for the party as people there (Channapatna) have trusted in us and has given us (the Congress) about 85,000 votes (in the Lok Sabha polls. We have to save them," he said.
People have given power to Congress in the state by giving it 136 seats (including independents), he said. "We have to save the people there (in Channapatna). Nothing has happened there, even though important people have enjoyed power from there, people have the feeling that nothing has been done for them. That's why we want do something. We have also done before "When I was minister, a part of Channapatna was under my constituency. It is the right time to serve the people and the poor there."The Channapatna bypoll is being held because the seat fell vacant after the election of its representative, JD(S) leader and now Union minister, H. D. Kumaraswamy, to the Lok Sabha in the recent elections.
The Election Commission is yet to announce the by-election schedule for this assembly seat.
While there was earlier talk that Suresh, who lost in the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha segment, could be fielded from Channapatna, speculation is now rife in political circles, especially in the grand old party, that Shivakumar could enter the fray for avenge his brother's defeat and restore his influence in the region.According to sources, if Shivakumar contests and wins from Channapatna, he may vacate the Kanakapura assembly seat he currently represents so that Suresh can contest.
Both Channapatna and Kanakapura are part of the Vokkaliga-dominated Ramanagara district, which falls under the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment from where Kumaraswamy's brother-in-law and eminent cardiologist CN Manjunath won as a BJP candidate as part of a deal between the partners of the alliance, the BJP. and JD(S). Manjunath defeated Suresh.
Reacting to Kumaraswamy's statement that Shivakumar, who had not done anything for Channapatna so far but was now visiting the constituency, the MCD asked, "How does he (Kumaraswamy) know that I have not done anything for Channapatna?" Before Kumaraswamy saw Channapatna, I had seen it. He came to politics very late. It came 10 years after I entered politics. I came in 1985 and had contested against his father (former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda) in the assembly elections. Kumaraswamy came in 1995 or 96 and contested for Parliament. "I'm from that district," he added.
