No new Dy CM positions in Karnataka, says AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge

AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge on Tuesday ruled out any proposal to create additional posts of Dy CMs in Karnataka, seeking to nip any such ambitions among senior Congress leaders in the bud.

Kharge, speaking to the media at Kalaburagi, sounded unhappy that such a discussion was taking place ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

His comments came in response to queries on sections of senior ministers holding a dinner meeting to pursue the demand, last week, and following it up by airing the same before AICC general secretary RS Surjewala in Bengaluru on Monday.


The AICC president dismissed the talk as mere speculation, and asked the media to pose the queries to chief minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM and KPCC president DK Shivakumar.

The party regime’s present focus had been to give good governance to people, address their grievances and focus on implementing all five guarantees promised to people at the time of elections.

He termed the reports of new Dy CM posts as mere speculation.

Sections of senior Congress ministers are exerting pressure on the party leadership to create three new Dy CM positions to accommodate leaders from Lingayat, minority and Dalit communities, arguing that such a move would benefit the party at the time of elections.