Bengaluru: After a meeting between the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) over Cabinet formation, Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal told reporters that only one deputy chief minister will be appointed. He also said that out of 34 ministries, 22 will go to the Congress party and 12 including the CM will be with the JD(S).


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Venugopal added, "Rest of the ministry and portfolio allocation will be decided after the floor test." The newly-formed alliance has claimed support of 117 MLAs in the 224-member House with an effective strength of 221.



Decisions regarding the distribution of the ministries and other portfolios between the allies were also taken in the meeting, ANI reported. Congress' KR Ramesh Kumar will be the Speaker of Karnataka's Vidhana Soudha, while the deputy speaker will be appointed from the JD(S).


CM-designate HD Kumaraswamy along with former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Venugopal, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and DK Shivakumar, among others were present in the meet.


A JD(S)-Congress coalition government headed by Kumaraswamy will be sworn-in on Wednesday in Karnataka at a ceremony attended by a galaxy of Opposition leaders and CMs. He will be the second CM to take oath in Karnataka within a week, after BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa stepped down without facing the floor test on May 19 in the face of imminent defeat.


Kumaraswamy, the third son of JD(S) supremo and former PM HD Deve Gowda, will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vajubhai Vala at 4:30 pm in front of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the government in Bengaluru. He was quoted as saying by PTI that running the coalition government for the next five years will be a "big challenge" for him.


A huge stage has been erected in front of the majestic stone building for the ceremony where a host of national and regional leaders are expected to be present. It will be Kumaraswamy's second term in office. He had earlier headed the JD(S)-BJP coalition government for 20 months between February 2006 and October 2007. 


The BJP is the single largest party with 104 MLAs. The Congress finished second in the Assembly elections with 78 seats and the JD(S)+ bagged 38 seats.


(With ANI and PTI inputs)