Congress, JD(S) differ over cabinet formation, war over deputy CM likely

Bengaluru: An all out war has broken out among Lingayat legislators of the Congress over former minister M.B. Patil being considered for the post of deputy chief minister  with a section of Lingayat legislators backing the candidature of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president S.R. Patil instead.

At least two to three Lingayat MLAs have openly threatened to resign from their MLA seats if Mr Patil is considered even for a minister’s post. Tempers ran high at an informal meeting of the party legislators in a plush hotel in the city where they have been confined to keep them away from poaching attempts by the BJP.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior Lingayat leader in the party said, “How can we allow Mr Patil to become Dy CM? He is not even worthy of becoming a minister in this dispensation. He ruined our vote bank due to his whimsical decision on according separate Lingayat religion status to the community. Although, as many as 17 Lingayats have won this time round, we have literally toiled day and night to convince Lingayat voters of our constituencies that our party’s decision was wrong.”

According to another Lingayat leader, Mr Patil did convince former chief minister Siddaramaiah about the benefits of according separate religious status, but failed miserably in carrying the message forward to the grassroot level. “As a result of this, we had to face the music. Had there been no consolidation of Muslim votes in favour of the Congress, most of us would have been in a precarious situation,” the  leader contended.

The leader asserted that KPCC working president, S.R. Patil is not only a amenable person but worthy of the post too. “We need representation for north-Karnataka region, and it should be Mr S.R. Patil for Dy CM,” the leader asserted.

Earlier, reports had suggested that the Congress was actively considering KPCC president G. Parameswara for the post.