A meeting of the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) Legislature Party to decide on the vexed issue of the party’s choice of ministers in the renewed partnership with the BJP-led Government in Karnataka on Wednesday resolved to leave the task to national party president H D Deve Gowda. In an indication that the JD(S) will participate as a partner in the Government, and not extend outside support, the party has in the past two days seen serious lobbying by MLAs for representation in the ministry led by BJP’s B S Yeddyurappa. The JD(S) is this time entitled to about 18 ministerial berths, including the post of the Deputy CM as against the 16 posts available to it as the senior partner in the Government between February 3, 2006 and October 3, 2007. All the 18 ministers will be sworn in on November 21 after a floor test is held on November 19 to establish the strength of the Yeddyurappa Government, JD(S) leaders said. The BJP has sworn in four from its quota of 16 ministers. A group of JD(S) MLAs who did not find berths in the Government when it was lead by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy made a representation at the Wednesday meeting for berths to be given to those who missed out last time. The MLAs lead by C Puttegowda, a man considered a close confidant of Deve Gowda and his older politician son H D Revanna, have also submitted a memorandum saying only Kumaraswamy, Revanna and M P Prakash be allowed entry in the new ministry. Senior ministers, however, said during the legislature party meeting on Wednesday that a judicious mix of ministers providing strategic regional and caste representation was needed rather than a new ministry. “The issues before us were discussed and we have resolved to leave all decisions to the party’s national president,” state president Merajuddin Patel, the dark horse for the deputy CM’s post. “There are no differences of opinion among the MLAs,” said former CM and the popular choice among the MLAs for the post of the Deputy CM, H D Kumaraswamy. “There are no problems about who should be the Deputy CM. At the appropriate time we will take the decision,” the former CM said with reference to reports that his brother H D Revanna, the party leadership’s favourite to be Deputy CM, is fighting hard to get the post.He continued to assert that his father’s 12-point agenda for the smooth running of the Government were not pre-conditions but mere suggestions for the functioning of the Government. Meanwhile, CM Yeddyurappa, who had announced a set of decisions, including appointment of a new state police intelligence chief and the fruition of efforts to build airports in his home district of Shimoga and Gulbarga in north Karnataka, said on Wednesday that he would keep the decisions on hold till his party proves its majority on the floor of the Assembly on November 19. Yeddyurappa had drawn criticism from Kumaraswamy on Tuesday for announcing the decisions before the floor test was conducted.
