CM & DCM posts: And now Veershaiva-Lingayat seer pitches for Ministers from his community

PTI, Jun 28, 2024, 7:17 PM IST

Srisaila Jagadguru Channa Siddharama Panditaradhya Swamiji

Chikkodi: A prominent Veearashaiva-Lingayat seer on Friday said Ministers from his community should be considered for the Chief Minister’s post in case there is a leadership change, a day after a Vokkaliga one publicly urged Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to give up his position in favour of his deputy D K Shivakumar.

Also pitching for Veershaiva-Lingayat ministers to be considered in the event of creation of additional deputy chief minister post, Srisaila Jagadguru Channa Siddharama Panditaradhya Swamiji claimed that his community’s votes were “decisive” for Congress to come to power in the state.

“Karnataka state political developments and news that is emerging are in discussion. In case there is a change in the chief minister post and if additional deputy CM posts are created — in such a situation, I urge the party (Congress) and government to give priority to ministers from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community,” the seer said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said: “The reason is, during the government formation, Veerashaiva-Lingayat votes were decisive. So Veerashaiva-Lingayat ministers should be given priority. There are ministers like — Eshwar Khandre, M B Patil, S S Mallikarjun — such people should be considered and their experience should be utilised. I urge that they should be given an opportunity.”

Reacting to this in New Delhi, CM Siddaramaiah said there is no “relationship between swamiji and politics.”

“There is no need to give much importance to swamiji’s statement. What is the relationship between swamiji and a political party? Who has to decide about the Chief Minister? It has to be done by legislators in a democracy and the high command,” he said.

Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji on Thursday had raised the pitch for Shivakumar at the Kempegowda Jayanti event here to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bengaluru’s founder, in the presence of both Siddaramaiah and the deputy chief minister on the dais.

Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, is a Vokkaliga — a dominant community in the southern parts of the state. Currently, he is the only deputy chief minister.

The comments of the seers come amid demand by a few ministers, believed to be close to Siddaramaiah, to have three more deputy chief ministers — from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities.

There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister’s post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May last year, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the deputy chief minister.

There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a “rotational chief minister formula,” according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.

Shivakumar has made no secret of his ambition to become chief minister, while Siddaramaiah had sought public support during the Lok Sabha polls so that the Congress wins the maximum number of seats in the state, which would strengthen his position.

A section within the Congress is of the opinion that the statement by the ministers seeking three more Deputy CMs, was part of a plan by Siddaramaiah’s camp to keep Shivakumar in check, amid talks he might seek the CM post after two-and-half years of this government’s tenure, and to counter his influence both in the government and party.