The Congress and the JD(S) who recently allied to form government in Karnataka after the verdict threw up a hung assembly, will fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as part of the alliance, KC Venugopal, Congress said today.
The two had a post-poll alliance after the Karnataka Assembly Elections this year threw up a fractured verdict, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, but fell short of the magic number.
Finance portfolio in Karnataka will be given to JD(S), Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said.
Even 10 days after talking over the administration on May 23, Kumaraswamy is yet to install a full-fledged team of ministers.
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The delay in forming a full ministry is attributed to the hard bargaining between the two parties over portfolio allocation, particularly the plum finance and some other key departments like energy.
Only Parameshwara was sworn-in as Deputy Chief Minister, along with Kumaraswamy on May 23.
Kumaraswamy had proved majority on the floor of the assembly on May 25.
Kumaraswamy along with his Deputy and Pradesh Congress Committee chief G Parameshwara met Governor Vajubhai Vala at Raj Bhavan to discuss the dates for the swearing-in of the new ministers.
"...We had thought of expanding the cabinet on Sunday, but as the Governor has a pre-scheduled programme to visit Delhi, we are going to request him (about time)," Kumaraswamy told reporters before meeting Vala.
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"We will discuss with him (Governor), 4th or 5th (June) we will have to see, because the information is that he will come back on June 5th morning... So to know about his schedule and seek his permission we are going (to meet him)," the CM added.
Both the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister are expected to share details about the cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation later in the day, official sources said.
Ahead of visiting Raj Bhavan, Kumaraswamy, Parameshwara and Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal held discussions with former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda at his residence about cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation.
(Agencies)
