Bengaluru: Having lost the deputy chief minister’s post, Congress working president D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday let out his anger, targeted at the party high command, on KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar, who became the deputy chief minister in the new coalition government.
Congress sources said that the Vokkaliga strongman from Kanakapura, Shivakumar, seems to be pulling all the strings to get a plum portfolio in the new ministry or the KPCC chief’s post.
On Tuesday, the party high command took a decision not to create more than one deputy chief minister’s post and opted for Dr Parameshwar that left Mr Shivakumar and a few Lingayat leaders disappointed.
Mr Shivakumar, speaking to reporters outside his residence on Wednesday morning, made no bones about his disappointment over the party choosing Dr Parameshwar over him. But he said he was a loyal worker of the party and would wait for the party to take a decision on his new assignment. Without taking Dr Parameshwar’s name, he said, “For the last eight-and-a-half years, he has been saying he would quit. Many people are waiting for it. But he did not.”
His supporters claimed that Mr Shivakumar would not only bankroll the 2019 Parliamentary elections in Karnataka, but also work hard to get more seats for the party. Though party leaders have not discussed the KPCC chief post, Mr Shivakumar seems to be pitching hard for it.
