BENGALURU: The Congress high command is finalizing names to fill vacancies in CM Siddaramaiah’s council of ministers. Meanwhile, the state unit of the BJP is actively lobbying for the post of leader of the opposition.
Sources in BJP indicate that the party’s national leaders are informally discussing with newly elected MLAs, aiming to reach a decision before the budget session begins, likely in July.
Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, former DCM R Ashoka, former minister Sunil Kumar, and senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal are frontrunners for the opposition leader post.
The BJP is carefully considering its options since the opposition leader’s role is crucial in highlighting Congress government’s failures and putting them on the back foot.
A senior BJP legislator said, “Considering Congress has capable senior legislators, the party will choose someone shrewd and capable to take on the government.”
Ashoka revealed that the party high command will send a team of observers to Karnataka to gather MLAs’ opinions before choosing the legislative party leader.
The BJP is also yet to select a replacement for Nalin Kumar Kateel, the state president of the party. Following their defeat in the May 10 assembly elections, the party held introspection meetings to review the situation. During these meetings, contenders for the position emerged, including Yatnal, Shobha Karandlaje, CT Ravi, V Somanna, and Sunil Kumar.
Some within the party are calling for a Hindutva face like Yatnal or Sunil Kumar to confront the new Congress government, expected to overturn decisions on cow slaughter ban and religious conversion regulation.