- Two to three deputy chief ministers are being considered for Karnataka's new Congress government
- Dalit and minority leaders are likely candidates for deputy chief minister positions
- DK Shivakumar is expected to lead the new Karnataka government as Chief Minister
As hectic discussions continued in Delhi over the formation of Karnataka's new government, a two to three deputy chief minister formula is understood to be gaining traction within Congress circles, according to sources familiar with the deliberations.
NDTV has learnt that the party leadership is examining a power-sharing arrangement that could see representation from key social groups in the new administration. Under the emerging formula, a Dalit leader and a minority community leader are being considered for the deputy chief minister positions, although a final decision is yet to be taken.
With DK Shivakumar expected to lead the new government, discussions are also underway regarding the composition of the cabinet. Sources said several senior leaders are likely to find a place in the ministry, including KJ George, UT Khader, Priyank Kharge, Ramalinga Reddy, Krishna Byre Gowda, MB Patil, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and N Chaluvarayaswamy.
Among them, UT Khader, Priyank Kharge and MB Patil seem to be the key contenders for the post of deputy chief minister.
Congress leader HK Patil is likely to be entrusted with the role of assembly Speaker, sources said.
The question of the Karnataka Congress presidency remains unresolved though. Satish Jarkiholi continues to be the frontrunner for the post and is understood to have sought a ministerial berth alongside the organisational responsibility, similar to the arrangement under which Shivakumar simultaneously held cabinet and party responsibilities.
The high command is said to be weighing whether the state Congress chief should devote full attention to organisational work, particularly with the state heading into assembly elections in just two years.
Senior leaders believe that combining government and party responsibilities could limit the president's ability to focus on strengthening the organisation and preparing for the next electoral battle.
While Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar flew back to Bengaluru after multiple meetings with the Congress leadership in Delhi, MLAs continued to flock to the national capital to make their case for inclusion in the cabinet.
The Congress leadership is said to be quite keen on making way for new and young faces in this cabinet.
