Rayareddy bats for 5 more Deputy CMs

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Congress MLA from Yelburga Basavaraja Rayareddy on Saturday waded into the controversy surrounding the appointment of additional Deputy Chief Ministers, adding that five more Cabinet members should be elevated to the post.

However, he conceded that since DK Shivakumar helped Congress win the state as the Karnataka Congress chief, he can be the principal Deputy CM.

Having him as the solitary Deputy CM was one of conditions that Shivakumar imposed on the Congress high command back in May.

“More Deputy Chief Ministers are required for better administration,” Rayareddy told ANI.

“I’m suggesting there should be at least six Deputy Chief Ministers. Already in Andhra Pradesh, there are five Deputy Chief Ministers. Karnataka is a big state. They can create another five. It means, including present Deputy CM Shivakumar, it’ll be six. Shivakumar is a senior leader and a party president. He worked hard for the party. He can be the principal Deputy Chief Minister,” he added.

This past week, CM Siddaramaiah loyalist and Co-operation Minister KN Rajanna said that he would lobby with the high command for three more Deputy CMs, one from Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories, one from a minority community and another from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.

Rayareddy, a former minister, who is also in the Siddaramaaiah camp has been miffed because he missed out on a Cabinet berth this time around.