Bengaluru: After days of hectic parleys, coalition partners JD(S) and Congress finally reached a consensus yesterday on expanding the Cabinet and also announced that the two parties will fight the 2019 elections together as a pre-poll alliance.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will expand his Council of Ministers on June 6. The Congress conceded and agreed to give away the Finance portfolio — which had become a bone of contention between the two partners. Kumaraswamy will hold the portfolio. Also, the Congress agreed that Kumaraswamy can continue as Chief Minister for the full five years.
“Everything is settled now,” said All India Congress Committee General Secretary K.C. Venugopal as he announced that the party has conceded the plum Finance Ministry to the JD(S). In return, Congress will get the crucial Home Department.
Energy portfolio had also emerged as a thorny issue in the negotiations, with State senior Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar, who was the key person who kept the Congress flock together during the political drama, reportedly keen on it. In all, JD(S) will get 12 Ministries, while the Congress will get 22.
Addressing a press conference with his deputy Dr. G Parameshwara yesterday, CM Kumaraswamy said the swearing-in of new Ministers will happen on June 6 (Wednesday) at 2 pm as Governor Vajubhai Vala will not be in Bengaluru till the previous day.
The thorny issues was resolved after the Congress top central leadership stepped in, with Congress President Rahul Gandhi speaking to Kumaraswamy on Friday. “Little bit of issues came in the form of Finance portfolio.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi himself gave directions to us that this coalition government is the need of the hour of the country,” Venugopal said as he read out a joint statement signed by him and JD(S) General Secretary Danish Ali at a press conference.
A common agenda for governance based on the manifesto of both the parties would be prepared and presented to the people of the State at the earliest, the parties said.
The two parties also announced a coalition Coordination and Monitoring Committee.
The coordination committee, headed by former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, comprises CM Kumaraswamy, his deputy Dr.G. Parameshwara, K.C. Venugopal and JD(S) National General Secretary Kanwar Danish Ali.
The panel will be meeting at least once a month to ensure smooth functioning of the government.
Sources said the JD(S) leadership was initially against Siddharamaiah, who is an arch-rival of JD(S) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, heading the panel.
But the Congress High Command refused to budge on this issue. Siddharamaiah is known for his administrative acumen.
Shivakumar loses ‘Power’
Both D.K. Shivakumar and JD(S) leader Revanna were lobbying for the Energy portfolio. Though Shivakumar has maintained that he had not lobbied for any post or a portfolio, party insiders said he was insisting on getting the Energy Ministry.
Yesterday afternoon, after getting the hint from the party, Shivakumar appeared to be miffed. The disappointment was reflecting when he asked media persons not to compare him with Revanna, who is a senior leader. In a tone loaded with sarcasm, the Congress leader said he would take whatever responsibility is given to him by the party.
Sources in the party said the former Minister was eyeing the post of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief and a plum portfolio. The party, however, is yet to take any decision on the party post.
Parties and Portfolios
The JD(S): Information, Intelligence, Planning and Statistics, Finance and Excise, PWD, Power, Co-operation, Education (excluding Medical Education), Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Horticulture and Sericulture, Small Scale Industries, Transport and Minor Irrigation.
The Congress: Home, Water Resources, Bengaluru City Development, Industries and Sugar, Health, Revenue/Muzarai, Urban Development, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Agriculture, Housing, Medical Education, Social Welfare, Forest and Environment, Labour, Mines and Geology, Women and Child Welfare, Food and Civil Supplies, Haj, Wakf & Minority Affairs, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Science & Technology, IT&BT, Youth and Sports, Kannada and Culture, Ports and Inland Transport.
The people of Karnataka are witness to no holds barred tussle for what our politicians consider as plum portfolios between the Congress and the JD(S) traditiinally political foes but becoming friends all of a sudden with the common goal of usurping and tasting power in Karnataka. The insistence on retaining the finance and power portfolios by the JD(S) has already resulted in a loss of face to the Congress.The party’s State unit is somehow digesting it keeping in view it’s goal of keeping BJP out of power in Karnataka with the bait of a pre poll alliance for the big Lok Sabha battle of 2019 offered by the JD(S) supremo H.D.Devegowda.