Bengaluru: In what appears to be an attempt to further clip the wings of Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa, the party’s central leadership has reportedly advised him to create the posts of three Deputy Chief Ministers for “smooth running” of his government.
BJP national organising secretary, B.L. Santhosh is believed to have suggested to Mr Yediyurappa that he appoint Mr Govinda Karjol, a Dalit, Mr K.S.Eshwarappa, a Kuruba and Dr. Ashwathnarayana, a Vokkaliga as Deputy Chief Ministers to help him run the government considering his advancing age.
The BJP’s central leaders are keen on the Chief Minister adopting the DKV (Dalit, Kuruba and Vokkaliga) formula to keep his cabinet colleagues happy, according to sources.
But Mr. Yediyurappa was unhappy at the suggestion, arguing that appointing DyCMs would only lead to creation of more power centres in the party and confusion in running of the government.
The idea has not gone down well with city BJP MLAs and Yediyurappa loyalists either, who rushed to his residence Saturday morning to request to turn it down. Senior minister, R. Ashok, who is also a Vokkaliga, met the Chief Minister too, as he is said to be upset at the party instructing him to appoint Dr. Ashwathnarayana as a Deputy Chief Minister.
Going by sources, Mr. Santhosh is backing Dr. Ashwathnarayana to scuttle Mr. Ashok’s dominance of the Bengaluru unit of the BJP.
The Chief Minister is expected to take a decision in the matter before the portfolios of the state ministers are allotted either by Sunday evening or Monday morning, according to sources.. Mr Yediyurappa, who was reportedly ready to announce them on Saturday, has been forced to put off the exercise due to the demise of former Union minister, Arun Jaitley.
