Karnataka: BJP, JD-S to decide on portfolios

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal-Secular, which are inching closer to form the government in Karnataka once again, will have some more work to do before their dream becomes a reality.

Although both parties have agreed in principal and even signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the same, they still have certain key issues to sort out.

The main issue that remains to be sorted out between the two parties is regarding the sharing of the portfolios.

While it is clear that B S Yediyurappa will become the chief minister of Karnataka, the JD-S is yet to decide on who would become the deputy chief minister.

Earlier, during the day, the name of JD-S spokeperson Meerajuddin Patel was being floated for the post of deputy CM, but later during the day that changed.

While H D Deve Gowda wants his son H D Revanna to don the mantle, a majority of the JD-S legislators feel that H D Kumaraswamy, Gowda's other son, should be made deputy CM.

Sources in both JD-S and BJP said that this issue will be sorted out on Sunday and in all probability, Kumaraswamy will be made the Dy CM.

Kumaraswamy, however, has reservations regarding accepting the post and said that he would prefer working for the party instead.

The MLAs who are supporting his candidature, however, are confident of convincing him.

The main issue that continues to haunt both the JD-S and the BJP is the portfolios.

As of now, both the parties have agreed only on the PWD, Power and Irrigation departments.

While the JD-S will get to keep the PWD portfolio, the BJP will have both irrigation and power.

However, there continues to be an issue regarding the home, finance and urban development portfolios, all three of which the JD-S is asking for.

While the BJP said it is firm on not letting go of both home and finance, there is a possibility of them splitting up the urban development ministry.

At present, the Bangalore Development Authority comes under urban development.

The JD-S is asking the BJP to withdraw BDA from the urban development ministry and hand it over to them.

The BJP is likely to agree to this proposal.

Senior leaders in both parties are hopeful of sorting out these issues and add that they would come to a conclusion by Sunday.