In A First, Karnataka To Have Three Deputy Chief Ministers 

In a first, Karnataka will have three deputy chief ministers as Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa allocated portfolios to 17 newly appointed ministers who were inducted into the cabinet nearly a week ago.

Interestingly, Savadi, who has been made the Deputy Chief Minister, is neither a member of the Assembly nor the Council. His induction into the cabinet had created resentment among several senior BJP legislators including eight-time Hukkeri MLA Umesh Katti and Honnali MLA MP Renukacharya.

According to party sources, Savadi from the dominant Lingayat community to which Yediyurappa also belongs to, was considered for DCM post to grow the second rung of leadership in the party from the Belagavi region.

Ashwath Narayan, a Vokkaliga, is said to have been rewarded for his role in managing the rebel Congress-JD(S) legislators, who brought down the coalition government. According to sources, Karjol, a prominent SC leader, is said to have been considered for DCM post for his seniority, organisational skills and community background.

Three Deputy Chief Minister posts were created and appointments to the post were made under the instructions from the party high command despite Yediyurappa not being keen on having any DCM, sources said. "It is almost clear that three DCMs are being appointed to have some control over Yediyurappa and his style of functioning, also aimed at strengthening the party organisation in the state," a top party functionary said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister is keeping with himself several key portfolios like- Finance, Power, Food and Civil Supplies, Irrigation, Urban Development, Bengaluru Development and related affairs, among others.

Some of these portfolios are likely to be allocated to disqualified former Congress-JD(S) MLAs, as and when they make it to the ministry. Yediyurappa has kept 16 Minister posts vacant to accommodate some more BJP members and from among 17 disqualified former legislators who helped him come to power.

The then assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar had disqualified 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs under the anti-defection law, which they have challenged in the Supreme Court. On getting relief from the apex court, some of them would be inducted into the cabinet as per the arrangement agreed upon, BJP sources said.