Amidst a few senior BJP leaders continuing to lobby for posts of Deputy Chief Ministers, a section close to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa seems to be arguing for doing away with the posts.
Three-time legislator from Honnali M.P. Renukacharya met BJP State president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Wednesday to discuss the issue formally. He is a close aide of Mr. Yediyurappa and seen as reflecting his views.
With the Mr. Yediyurappa-led BJP government already having three Deputy Chief Ministers and the clamour for the post coming from Health Minister B. Sriramulu and newly-elected legislator Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mr. Renukacharya, who is also Mr. Yediyurappa’s political secretary, is learnt to have suggested to Mr. Kateel to scrap the post. Sources said that he requested Mr. Kateel to convey the confusion over the post to the Central leadership.
According to sources, he pointed out at the competition between Mr. Sriramulu and Mr. Jarkiholi, both Valmiki community leaders, for the Dy. CM post could lead to more problems. If either of them is made Dy. CM, a demand may arise from the Kuruba community to make Minister K.S. Eshwarappa Dy. CM. The Ediga, Lambani communities that have supported the BJP may also stake claim for the post, Mr. Renukacharya told Mr. Kateel.
Further, the creation of Dy. CM posts has caused embarrassment to senior leaders, including former Chief Minister Jagadeesh Shettar and former Deputy Chief Ministers R. Ashok and Mr. Eshwarappa, who have seen junior leaders being elevated as Dy. CMs.
Responding to his public utterances over the Dy. CM post and a subsequent rebuttal from Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Mr. Renukacharya said: “I am speaking as a disciplined soldier of the party. I do not need to learn lessons on right conduct from anyone. This is not just my opinion but that of many legislators in the party.” He further said that the person who is speaking now should ask himself how he spoke about Mr. Yediyurappa earlier, during the BBMP elections. It may be mentioned here that Mr. Yediyurappa’s choice of Mayor was overruled during the BBMP polls. On the ongoing confrontation over the Dy. CM post, Revenue Minister R. Ashoka said: “I am not big enough a man in the party to talk about it.”
