Hours after Siddaramaiah was named by the Congress as Karnataka State Chief, along with D.K. Shivakumar as his sole Deputy, senior Congress party politician G. Parameshwara on Thursday warned fellow party members of an adverse reaction and trouble if a member from the Dalit community is not given the post of Deputy State Chief.
Parameshwara, 71, a Dalit leader, had served as the Deputy State Chief during the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government led by Janata Dal (Secular) politician H.D. Kumaraswamy from May 2018 to July 2019.
He is also the longest-serving Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief as he served the post from October 2010 to July 2018.
While talking to the reporters in Bengaluru, he said that people, especially the Dalit community, have huge expectations and insisted that in understanding these expectations, our leadership will have to make a decision.
“If it doesn't happen, naturally there will be reactions for it. There is no need for me to say it. Instead of realizing it later, if they rectify it now it will be better. Or else it may cause trouble for the party. I would like to tell them to understand it,” the Congress politician added.
When asked whether Shivakumar had allegedly put a condition to the leadership that he should be the only Deputy State Chief, former state unit chief of the party said that “what he has said might be right in Shivakumar's point of view, but high command's viewpoint should be different. High Command has to decide, we expect them (high command) to...”
He even asserted that he was an aspirant for both the posts of State Chief and Deputy State Chief.
“I was both state chief and deputy state chief aspirant but now we have to abide by the decision of the high command, so let's see what they will do in the days to come. For now they have made announcements about the two, we will have to wait and see how they will do justice during the cabinet expansion," he said.
On Siddaramaiah being announced as the State Chief, Parameshwara said: “Siddaramaiah is becoming the State Chief for the second time from our party, we expect him to provide a good administration. Expectations of people are huge on us because of the promise of good administration in our manifesto. I welcome the decision and expect them to take all of us into confidence in providing a good administration.”
When asked why “none of them” (Dalits) have demanded the post of Deputy State Chief with a strong voice, the former Deputy State Chief said a strong voice doesn't mean shouting demands.
“We have asked (for posts)...I hope the high command will pay attention to it, as people have voted for us and have contributed to Congress coming to power. We have to keep this in mind and move ahead,” he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced the names of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the post of State Chief and Deputy State Chief earlier in the day after four days of deliberation.