Karnataka: Hectic parleys under way within SC community for minister berths

Bengaluru: While a few senior Scheduled Caste leaders are virtually guaranteed a berth in the upcoming D K Shivakumar-led Cabinet, intense manoeuvring and lobbying are under way for the remaining slots.

In the previous Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet, there were 6 SC ministers - G Parameshwara, Priyank Kharge, Dr H C Mahadevappa (SC Right) K H Muniyappa, R B Timmapur (SC Left) and Shivaraj Tangadagi (Bhovi). 

Sources in the Congress explained that the party would need to carefully calibrate candidates to suit both caste and regional equations.

Parameshwara and Priyank are widely expected to continue, and it’s also likely that either Muniyappa or his daughter Roopakala Shashidhar may get another berth. 

Parameshwara, a former KPCC president, has twice served as the home minister, and was even the DCM in the H D Kumaraswamy-led Cabinet during 2018-19. 

Priyank served as both the IT/BT and RDPR minister from 2023-26 in the Siddaramaiah 2.0 Cabinet, and is known as a firebrand with secular credentials. 

It’s speculated that both Parameshwara and Priyank may be amongst the select list of senior ministers to be sworn-in to the Cabinet alongside D K Shivakumar on June 03. 

Speculation is rife that the SC community may get one of the potential 2-3 deputy chief minister berths. It was believed that either Parameshwara or Priyank may be chosen as one of the DCMs. However, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly favoured Parameshwara to be the DCM instead of his son Priyank. 

Even though the SC (Left)/Madiga community is the most numerous of all SC groups in Karnataka (34.21 lakh, excluding Paraya and Moger communities), the SC (Right)/Holeya community (32.56 lakh including the aforementioned two communities) has been traditionally loyal to the Congress and most of its senior SC leaders are from the SC (Right) community itself.

While the SC (Right) community is expected to retain its share of three ministers, it’s being speculated that Mahadevappa - a Siddaramaiah loyalist and the social welfare minister in the outgoing government - may be replaced by Malavalli MLA P M Narendraswamy (also from SC Right). 

Both Mahadevappa (T Narasipura) and Narendraswamy (Malavalli) are from the Old Mysuru region.  Anekal MLA B Shivanna and Pulakeshinagar MLA A C Sreenivas are also said to have sought ministerial berths. 

It’s also being speculated that Mayakonda MLA Basavanthappa (SC Left) and Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani (Lambani) may get a chance. MLC Sudham Das (SC Left) is also said to be an aspirant.