Will H D Kumaraswamy serve full term as CM? No decision yet, says his deputy

"We are also yet to decide on what portfolios have to go to them and what should be with us, then five years term- whether they should be or we should also...all those modalities we have still not discussed," said G Parameshwara.

Karnataka floor test tomorrow, uncertainty over Kumaraswamy to serve full five-year term as CM

Janata Dal (Secular) leader H. D. Kumaraswamy, right, and Congress party leader G. Parameshwara arrive to be sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of the state in Bangalore on Wednesday. (AP photo)

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday insisted that the Congress-JD(S) coalition was yet to discuss the modalities about H D Kumaraswamy continuing as Chief Minister for a full five-year term.

While speaking to reporters ahead of the trust vote in Bengaluru, Parmeshwara, in response to a question whether Kumaraswamy will be the chief minister for a full five-year term, said, “We have not yet discussed those modalities.” He further said, “We are also yet to decide on what portfolios have to go to them and what should be with us, then five years term- whether they should be or we should also…all those modalities we have still not discussed.”

The Deputy CM, when asked about senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar being unhappy and holding a separate meeting with a few MLAs, said that all MLAs were together and the alliance would be successful in the floor test. “Discussions, group meetings may have happened or not, but above all the fact is that we are united. I can say only this,” he added.

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Shivakumar, who was widely credited for keeping the flock of party MLAs together amid claims of attempted poaching by the BJP, is reportedly not happy after being ignored for the deputy chief minister’s post that went to Parameshwara. “Is it the same for those who win one seat and those who win the state? I have not come to politics to take sanyas. I will play chess not football,” Shivakumar had said.

READ | D K Shivakumar — Man who saved the day for Congress has eyes on bigger prize

Kumaraswamy, who was sworn in at a grand assembly of leaders of non-BJP parties on Wednesday, should comfortably prove his majority given the strength of the JD(S)-Congress-BSP coalition in the House. While the Congress has 78 MLAs, Kumaraswamy’s JD(S) has 37, and BSP 1. The alliance has also claimed support of the lone KPJP MLA and an independent. Kumaraswamy had won from two constituencies.

READ | Karnataka trust vote tomorrow, Congress-JD(S) MLAs yet to checkout from hotel rooms

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BJP’s B S Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as the chief minister on May 17, had stepped down two days later without going through the motions of a floor test. The 224-member Assembly has an effective strength of 221, as the election for Jayanagar seat was countermanded following the death of the BJP candidate, and deferred in R R Nagar over allegations of electoral malpractices.

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