'Tough' task for Yediyurappa to keep ministership promise given to newly-elected MLAs

As the BJP managed to win 12 out of 15 seats where by-elections were held recently in Karnataka, state Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is now about to face a "tussle of leaders" within the party over ministers' post, sources said.

MP Kumaraswamy from Mudigere, MTB Nagaraj, who lost election from Hosakote, Vijayendra Yeddyurappa, R Shankar, who sacrificed his Ranibennur seat for Arun Kumar, are allegedly in the list for becoming ministers, sources added.

They shared that Yediyurappa had promised ministership for those who joined BJP after leaving Congress and JD(S). However, now there are others in Karnataka BJP who are also in the list to become ministers.

"Certainly it is becoming tough for Yediyurappa to handle the tussle of leaders to become the ministers, but I think national leadership will handle and manage the MLAs. The main thing is to keep the promise and leading the government is the big task in front of the Yediyurappa," a senior BJP leader said.

On the other hand, JD(S) and Congress, after losing by-elections, are in a "drastic" condition, sources said. Some senior leaders of Congress are somewhere happy that Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao have resigned, they added.

Now there is a race going on in Congress to become the legislative party leader and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, sources said.

Mainly Mallikarjun Kharge and DK Shivakumar are in the race for the presidential post for Karnataka Congress, while on the other side names of HK Patil, SR Patil, DK Shivakumar are actively being heard for the post of Leader of Opposition in Assembly after Siddaramaiah resigned.