The ruling BJP which is caught in the throes of cabinet formation, may play it safe and decide not to appoint a deputy for Chief Minister designate Jagadish Shettar. Earlier, there were reports that a deputy chief minister (DCM) post would be created to ensure the party gets its caste equation right after the exit of Mr Sadananda Gowda—a Vokkaliga— from the post of CM. The forntrunners for the post were home and transport minister R. Ashok (Vokkaliga), party state president K.S. Eshwarappa (Kuruba) and Kannada and culture minister Govind Karjol (ST). On learning that the B.S. Yeddyurappa camp too had drawn up a list of its candidates for the DCM post, the party seem to have dropped the idea. Sources in the BSY camp said that if Mr Karjol is projected for the post, the BSY camp would push for animal husbandary minister Revunaik Belamagi’s appointment.
If Mr Eshwarappa’s name was proposed for DCM, the BSY camp was planning to counter this by proposing Raju Gowda for the post. If Mr Ashok’s name was proposed, BSY loyalists were planning to counter this by nominating energy minister Ms Shobha Karandlaje, a Vokkaliga leader. At a meeting on Monday, the BSY faction also resolved to demand 20 cabinet berths if the DCM post was given to someone not belonging to their group. In view of this, the party seems to have developed cold feet on creating the DCM post, sources said.