In deserted Cabinet, lone man is Gowda and he makes a stand

[1]

If former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had his way, six ministers would have joined the new cabinet but the rival camp led by Jagadish Shettar reportedly said ‘thanks, but no, thanks’ to the offer on Thursday, hours before the new Chief Minister Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda, 58, took oath of office as the state’s 26th Chief Minister at a crowded function at Raj Bhavan as the lone member of his cabinet.

Sources said Mr Yeddyurappa told his successor D.V. Sadananda Gowda to reward his diehard supporters Shobha Karandlaje, Dr V.S. Acharya and Basavaraj Bommai not only with positions in the Cabinet but with the plum portfolios of home, finance and revenue.

Mr Gowda was told that he could balance the team by inducting Mr Shettar and two of his followers.

The plan, however, failed though Mr Gowda offered to bring in three people —Mr Shettar himself, Mr R. Ashok and Mr Govind Karjol — from the Shettar camp alongside his own supporters when he spoke at length to Mr Shettar during a surprise visit to the latter’s residence hours before the swearing in ceremony.

In a move that Mr Gowda’s supporters are hoping is a bargaining ploy and not the first step towards a formal split, Mr Shettar politely thanked Mr Gowda for the invitation and made it clear he had not changed his mind about the boycott.

After Mr Gowda left, Mr Shettar and Mr Ashok left for party president Mr Eshwarappa’s residence. After holding consultations with him for over two hours, the two leaders declared that their faction would not be attending the swearing in ceremony.

Sources in Mr Shettar’s faction said that their plans to fly to Delhi to seek the central leaders’ intervention had been dropped.

On Thursday morning, senior leader Mr Arun Jaitley sought to persuade Mr Ashok and the rest of the Shettar faction to attend the swearing in ceremony. Mr Ashok declined.

The swearing in ceremony however saw the de facto head of the Shettar group Mr Ananth Kumar attending the swearing-in alongside Karnataka in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan.

In a desperate attempt to prove he was his own man, the new chief minister, while addressing his maiden press conference promised to adopt ‘consensus politics’ instead of agitational politics.

“I hope my smile, confidence and mutual trust will help me sail through all the problems,” an unruffled Mr Gowda said adding, that he would prove that he was not anybody’s puppet.

Last-ditch effort to unite party comes unstuck

Sadananda Gowda, made a surprise visit to Cauvery where the Shettar camp was meeting to persuade the 50 strong group to attend the ceremony.

They refused.

Insiders said the Shettar faction told DVS they had 55 legislators and should be allocated 50 per cent of the ministries.

The Shettar group wanted the posts of Deputy Chief Minister, PWD, Irrigation and Transport portfolios, and a coordination committee representing both factions to take important decision in the government.

The governor’s office had placed five microphones for ministers expected to take oath with DVS. Raj Bhavan sources were informed that along with DVS, ten ministers would take the oath.

Party national general secretary Ananth Kumar and state president K.S. Eshwarappa were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
Were they trying to distance themselves from the Shettar group of dissenters?

Even as Mr Gowda was taking oath as the 26th Chief Minister, a petition was filed against him in the high court for allegedly violating BDA rules.