Proposed Central Cabinet berth for HDK part of larger BJP strategy

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bengaluru: Even as JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy denies that he has been offered a Union ministry in the case of a BJP victory in the Lok Sabha polls, the saffron party is laying the groundwork to appease allies and potential rebels.

The BJP high command is planning to offer Kumaraswamy a Cabinet role, alongside three others who have also served as chief ministers.

Key among them are former Madhya Pradesh head of government Shivaraj Singh Chauhan and ex Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is also a contender for a ministerial role at the Centre.

Multiple-time MP CM Chauhan had been sidelined in favour of Mohan Yadav while BJP Rajasthan bigwig Raje was replaced by Bhajan Lal Sharma.

Neither leader is happy about being marginalised in their respective states where they believe they had been the most popular BJP leaders and may need to be mollified.

Fadnavis on the other hand had to agree to be a deputy to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde when he split with the Shiv Sena and had walked out with 40 MLAs in June 2022.

Moreover, nephew of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, Ajit went over to the BJP in Maharashtra along with 40 MLAs from the party back in July.

Ajit was then made the deputy chief minister as a result. So Fadnavis is made to share the Deputy CM’s powers as well.

The BJP at the Centre is hoping he can be pacified with a Union ministry. Moreover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and co believe that adding former Chief Ministers to the Union Cabinet will bolster the administrative capabilities of the Union government.