In the end corruption wins: BJP on Cong's Karnataka decision on CM, dy posts

Corruption has won, alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the Congress choice of Siddaramaiah as the chief minister of Karnataka and DK Shivakumar as the deputy CM. The BJP, which will be in the Opposition in the Karnataka assembly, said that for the first time there will be no representation of the Lingayats or the SC in these top posts.

The BJP, which had suffered a drubbing in the Karnataka assembly elections, on Thursday (May 18) said the Congress was bypassing sub-regional aspirations and prominent communities with its choice of CM and deputy CM.

BJP I-T department head Amit Malviya also claimed that for the first time there will be no representation from the all-powerful Lingayat community or the SCs.

“For the first time, Karnataka will have a government that doesn’t represent either sub-regional aspirations or for that matter prominent communities. Both CM designate Siddaramaiah and to-be deputy CM DKS come from south Karnataka. For the first time, there will be no representation from the all-powerful Lingayat community or the SCs,” he tweeted.

Also read: It’s official: Congress names Siddaramaiah as Karnataka CM, DK Shivakumar his deputy

He alleged the Congress has “intentionally” left out M B Patil, a Lingayat, and G Parameshwara, a Dalit, and said they could have been made deputy chief ministers.

The Congress is hell-bent on humiliating both these senior leaders and their communities, said Malvika, alleging that in the end, “corruption wins”.

“As the only DCM and moneybag, DKS will run the show, control most of the ministerial appointments and reduce Karnataka to an ATM, just to please the Gandhis in Delhi. Siddaramaiah will be reduced to being a placeholder CM, whose last term, to put it mildly, was nothing short of a disaster,” he said.

Also read: Karnataka: Trouble brews for Cong? Parameshwara wants a Dalit as Deputy CM

Ending days of suspense, the Congress on Thursday announced Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister of Karnataka and PCC president D K Shivakumar as his only deputy.

The two leaders, who were in a tight race for the top post, would take oath along with other ministers on May 20 and leaders of all like-minded parties will be invited for the swearing-in ceremony.