Kumaraswamy 'angled' for a plum portfolio with Sonia Gandhi

HDK told Congress chief her party would bag 15 seats in Karnataka

Why did JD(S) Karnataka state president H D Kumaraswamy meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi here on Tuesday evening and what did they discuss?

Though Kumaraswamy later said his father and party supremo H D Deve Gowda was not aware of the meeting sources told Deccan Herald that the JD(S) boss was behind the one-on-one.

At the meeting, Kumaraswamy reportedly assured his party’s support to the UPA to form the government at the Centre. The meeting is also seen as a ploy to bag a “good” portfolio for the JD(S). Interestingly, the chances of Kumaraswamy becoming a minister at the Centre are high in the event of the Congress coming back to power.

Kumaraswamy is also understood to have told Sonia that the Congress was poised to bag up to 15 seats in Karnataka. He, however, added that if that happened, the credit should also go to the JD(S), as the party had supported the Congress in several seats. Kumaraswamy is also said to have explained to the Congress president the likely results of the LS polls in the State constituency-wise.

Impact Siddaramaiah

The Sonia-Kumaraswamy meeting will certainly hurt Congress leader Siddaramaiah, a backward class leader who joined the Congress after opposing the Gowda family. It may even put a question mark on the importance the Congress may give Siddaramaiah if the JD(S) becomes a prominent player in the future government.

That Kumaraswamy was accompanied by K C Kondaiah, a camp follower of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, has been taken note of by many. Kharge is opposed to Siddaramaiah and so far, the post of Congress Legislature Party leadership, which he holds, has not been entrusted to Siddaramaiah.

This despite the Congress leadership saying the former JD(S) leader would be given the post.

The Kharge camp is also said to have been worried that in case the Congress got more than 10 seats in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah would claim credit for it.

 Kumaraswamy was said to have broached the Siddaramaiah issue when he was here a week ago during which he met Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Sonia Gandhi. The two will meet again when Kumaraswamy arrives here on May 17.

Sources admitted that as Gowda was also eyeing the prime minister’s post, he was trying to revive his ties with the Congress through Kumaraswamy. “If a situation arises where the Congress backs a Third Front government at the Centre, Gowda is hoping that the Congress president would suggest his name for the top post,” sources said.