Cong proposes its CM but JD(S) rejects proposal

The JD(S) leadership has rejected the Congress offer to replace Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy with a Congress leader as a solution to the crisis.

Claiming that most of the rebel MLAs have expressed their unhappiness against Kumaraswamy and his brother PWD Minister H D Revanna, the Congress is learnt to have offered a solution to the JD(S), that the Congress can get the chief minister’s post and the JD(S) can take the deputy chief minister’s post.

However, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda is said to have rejected the plan, saying the Congress should first focus on saving the current dispensation from collapsing, instead of thinking of alternative arrangements, sources said.

The Congress, which has been struggling to bring back rebel MLAs staying in Mumbai, has suggested that one of its three senior leaders - Mallikarjuna Kharge, R V Deshpande or H K Patil - could be considered for the chief minister’s post, while Revanna could be the deputy chief minister.

Since the rebel MLAs have blamed Revanna’s style of functioning for their decision, the Congress’ argument is that since the chief minister will be from the Congress, there will not be any scope for high-handedness by Revanna.

The JD(S) has sternly told the grand old party that the onus is on the Congress to save the coalition government as the party had assured support for the full five-year term. The JD(S) said that the entire crisis was the Congress’ internal issue as the maximum number of disgruntled legislators is from that party, sources said.

Sources close to the JD(S) said that the party preferred sitting in the Opposition to giving up the chief minister’s post and supporting a government led by a Congress leader.