With less than 24 hours left for the cabinet formation, both JD(S) and Congress are yet to announce the names of their cabinet ministers.
On Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that only 8-9 MLAs from the JD(S) will take oath as cabinet ministers on Wednesday, 6 June.
While talking to the media, he said that some cabinet berths will be left vacant because of ‘political reasons’. However, sources in JD(S) said that these few seats have been set aside as an option in case any disgruntled MLAs throw a ruckus when the names are announced on Wednesday.
Meanwhile in the Congress camp, a decision on the ministerial candidates is yet to come. The discussions between senior party leaders and AICC President Rahul Gandhi continued late into the night in New Delhi. Sources said that Rahul Gandhi held separate meetings with the senior leaders in the party, including DK Shivakumar.
In a short statement to the media, Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President G Parameshwara said the cabinet will be ‘a mix of senior and young leaders’.
The number of seats to be announced kept fluctuating in course of the day. While in the afternoon, the number of seats to be announced were said to be 12, by evening the senior leaders said that numbers might come down to 9.
The names of the ministers are expected to be shared between Congress and JD(S), in closed envelopes between party leaders, hours before the swearing-in.
The cabinet position for the senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar has been a bone of contention, said sources. Earlier, the Congress had approached JD(S) with a proposal to swap the energy portfolio, which was held by DK Shivakumar in the previous government. However, the plan is said to have been dropped.
As per the current agreement, Congress has been allocated Home, Irrigation, Health, Agriculture and Women Child Welfare portfolios, while JD(S) has been given Finance and Excise, Public Works Department, Education, Tourism and Transport departments.
While the Congress party continues its discussion, HD Kumaraswamy ruled out the rumours regarding the disgruntlement among some MLAs over the portfolio allocation. "There are no differences at all among our MLAs. In fact, they have left the decisions on portfolios to our national president (HD Deve Gowda)," he said.
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