Bangalore: Ahead of the ruling BJP legislature party meeting to elect Jagadish Shettar as new Karnataka Chief Minister on Tuesday to succeed D V Sadananda Gowda, rival camps on Monday lobbied hard for ministerial berths for their nominees.
The legislature party meet will be held in the presence of BJP central observers, Arun Jaitely, Rajnath Singh and General Secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, in charge of party affairs in Karnataka.
Soon after election of new leader, Gowda will submit the resignation to Governor H R Bhardwaj and Shettar will accompany him to stake his claim to form the government, BJP sources here said.
Indications are that Shettar is expected to be sworn in either Tuesday evening or on July 11, which would be decided at the legislature party meet, they said.
Capping a prolonged internal tussle over the leadership issue, the BJP central leadership under mounting pressure from the Yeddyurappa camp, yesterday decided to replace Gowda with Shettar, who belongs to the majority Lingayat community.
Pradhan who arrived here yesterday has been holding talks with top party leaders on various issues, including ministry formation, which has turned into a herculean task in the wake of pressures and counter pressures from both camps, they said.
There is no clarity yet on whether BJP would create a Deputy Chief Minister’s post, for which lobbying has already begun on “caste basis”.
The residence of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa who has emerged “king maker” after he forced the central leadership to replace Gowda with his nominee Shettar has turned into a beehive of activity.
Ministers loyal to Yeddyurappa have been pressuring him to ensure they are retained in the Shettar ministry with existing portfolios while MLAs are seeking his help to become ministers.
Yeddyurappa’s loyalists have also been discussing names for the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, including those of Revunaik Belamagi and Shobha Karandlaje, a close aide of Yeddyurappa, sources said.
The names of state unit President K S Eswarappa (backward Kuruba community) and Home Minister R Ashoka from Vokkaliga caste and Govind Karjol (Dalit)are also doing the rounds.
However, sources say the high command is not inclined to create Deputy Chief Minister’s post as none of the states ruled by the party has it.
Meanwhile, Shettar met Yeddyurappa and held discussions with him and also BJP National General Secretary H N Anantkumar.
Meanwhile, a section of BJP MLAs belonging to Vokkaliga community held a meeting in Bangalore against the central leadership’s decision to replace Gowda as Chief Minister and offered to quit.
Dasarahalli MLA Muniraju urged BJP legislators of the community to quit in protest against Gowda’s removal. “I am ready to quit. We should not be cowards,” he said.
Malleshwaram MLA Dr C N Ashwathnarayan and Mysore MLA H S Shankarlinge Gowda also flayed the party high command for replacng and offered to quit.
A delgation of Vokkaliga leaders met Gowda and urged him not to quit, to which he said their views would be conveyed to the high command.
Meanwhile BJP senior leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh arrived here to oversee the legislature party meeting.
They met Chief Minister designate Shettar and State BJP President K S Eshwarappa and held discussions with them.
They were also were briefed by Karnataka in-charge of BJP Dharmendra Pradhan. (PTI)