Our vote, somebody else's leadership: Karnataka minister's remarks raise pitch for 'Dalit CM' call

Bengaluru: Karnataka Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa has floated the ‘Dalit CM’ idea by publicly lamenting that nobody from the SC/ST community, despite voting with unity, has occupied the top chair.

“It's our vote, but somebody else's leadership,” Mahadevappa, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s trusted lieutenant, said at a convention organised by the Karnataka State Government SC/ST Employees on Tuesday.

A video of his speech went viral Wednesday, prompting Mahadevappa to clarify that he was not referring to Karnataka.

At the event, however, Mahadevappa was specific. “Even if we vote with unity, we have to seek the CM's chair. Who's responsible for this? It is us. We're not following our leader,” he said at the event. “How did Siddaramaiah, B S Yediyurappa and H D Deve Gowda become chief ministers? They have people’s support. But we vote with our eyes closed.”

Flashing a paper containing a list of demands by the SC/ST employees, Mahadevappa said, “I’m not on the policy-making chair, nor is Dr Parameshwara or Khargeji. Because all of you haven’t followed a leader. You never have.”

Mahadevappa said the interests of a community can be protected by a leader who enjoys its support. “You vote without seeing who the candidate is. We're putting ourselves in a position of lamenting. This is the political scenario in the country,” he said.

On Wednesday, Mahadevappa clarified that he was only reiterating what Ambedkar had said. “Ambedkar said he’d be happy with reservation only when his people sit on policy-making chairs such as that of police superintendents, deputy commissioners, judges, chief ministers, the prime minister and president,” Mahadevappa said.

“Different castes have different leaders. But you (SC/STs) vote for an ideology and keep quiet, only to beg later. This was my appeal,” he said, adding that he was talking about the entire country and not Karnataka.

In political circles, Mahadevappa’s ‘Dalit CM’ pitch was widely seen as part of a larger attempt to scuttle the prospects of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga, who is eyeing the top chair if the rumoured midterm change in leadership happens.

Making a Dalit the CM has been a hotly debated matter within Congress. Senior leaders such as G Parameshwara have publicly said Dalits are not given the opportunity to become CM. At the event, Parameshwara said SC/STs must unite as they are decisive in 125 Assembly constituencies.