Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, speaking in Bagalkot, emphasized that the proposal to establish additional Deputy Chief Minister positions is not intended to cause any discomfort to senior leaders like Chief Minister Siddaramaiah or Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. He expressed support for the idea of creating more Deputy Chief Minister roles, stressing that this move should be viewed as an administrative decision rather than a political one.
Jarkiholi clarified that he is not actively seeking the Deputy Chief Minister position but would accept it if it were offered to him. He noted that the ultimate decision regarding the creation of additional Deputy Chief Minister positions rests with the party’s high command.
The minister shared that the Congress party is working toward the goal of securing 20 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He also mentioned that the Congress is open to admitting leaders from other parties who align with the party’s principles of universal welfare and inclusive development, with an initial approach to the district Congress committee, followed by a decision by the high command.
Jarkiholi expressed his support for providing women with reservations in legislative bodies while acknowledging that it was the Congress-led UPA government that initially initiated this effort.
Regarding the pre-poll alliance between the Janata Dal(S) and the BJP, he commented that he was not surprised, as leaders from these parties had previously held discreet meetings, and now, they are doing so openly. He regarded this development as nothing new.
