Bangalore, November 11
Internal squabbles in the Janata Dal (Secular) will see B.S. Yeddyurappa of the BJP alone taking oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka tomorrow even as former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is expected to take oath as his deputy at a later date.
Kumaraswamy consolidated his hold over the party by being elected as leader of the legislature party at a meeting held today.
Sources said his nomination as Deputy Chief Minister was also a foregone conclusion as most of the party legislators prefer his candidature vis-à-vis his brother H.D. Revanna, who has also thrown his hat in the ring.
According to the sources, the meeting held to elect the legislature party leader could not agree on the party’s deputy chief ministerial candidature.
Kumaraswamy, however, tried to downplay the rift in the family by saying speculation about Revanna’s candidature as Deputy Chief Minister was “unfounded” and was a “creation of the media”. He said those thinking they could divide the Gowda family would be disappointed.
State party president Merajuddin Patel, when questioned about what post Revanna would get, said he would be a member of Yeddyurappa’s
cabinet.
Kumaraswamy also announced that all 18 ministers in the JD (S) quota, including the Deputy Chief Minister, would take oath in one go. He said the JD (S) would, however, attend the swearing-in ceremony and that there was no difference within the JD (S) on supporting a BJP-led coalition government.
With the JD (S) keeping out for the present, the oath-taking ceremony is likely to be an all BJP affair. The party has already got into the hang of Dravidian politics by putting up large cutouts of Yeddyurappa at prominent places in the city, including in front of the official residence of the Chief Minister.
Senior BJP leaders, including L.K. Advani, Rajnath Singh, Yashwant Sinha, Murli Manohar Joshi, Venkaiah Naidu and Narendra
Modi, are arriving by a chartered flight tomorrow to attend the ceremony
being held on the steps of the imposing Vidhana Soudha here.
