With a day left for swearing in, lobbying in Karnataka Congress touches dizzying heights

With a day left for the council of ministers to be sworn in, there is lobbying within the Congress has touched dizzying heights. As per the agreement with the JD(S), the Congress would get 22 berths out of the 34.

Several top leaders from the Karnataka Congress are in New Delhi to lobby for the posts.

There was considerable tension in the Congress camp as top leaders such as Dinesh Gundu Rao, Krishna Byre Gowda, R V Deshpande among others making a dash to the national capital.

Confusion prevailed in the wake of KPCC chief and deputy chief minister, Dr. G Parameshwar saying that a suggestion to leave out those who have had multiple terms as ministers is under consideration.

The leaders from the north Karnataka region are pushing hard as they feel the balance in the Cabinet needs to be struck. Most leaders from north Karnataka including S R Patil who resigned as the party's working president were of the view that the party must accommodate more leaders from there region. Patil had resigned citing the party's poor performance in the region in the recently concluded Karnataka assembly elections.

The leaders from north Karnataka had demanded a second post of deputy CM be created for a leader from the region. This was however rejected by the JD(S).

Among the disgruntled lot is also D K Shivakumar, the strongman who held the flock together to wade off any poaching attempts by the BJP. He had been eyeing the post of either deputy CM or power. However the post of deputy CM went to Parameshwar, while the power portfolio was bagged by the JD(S).

Parameshwar cleared the air about Shivakumar, by calling him a loyal soldier of the party.

He will be rewarded appropriately by the party, he also said. Meanwhile a final call on the matter would be taken by Congress president, Rahul Gandhi today. He would be holding meetings with the state leaders and then finalise the list.