Congress and JD(S) are likely to announce a power-sharing deal for their coalition government in Karnataka on Friday, with unambiguous reiteration that H D Kumaraswamy will be chief minister for the full term and the two parties will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together.
Contrary to speculation, the protracted negotiations were focussed not just on ministerial portfolios to be apportioned between the two partners but also on other dimensions — setting up a coordination committee, common minimum programme and stability of the government, as reported by TOI in an interview with Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot on Thursday.
Among key portfolios, finance will go to JD(S) while the home department will be run by Congress.
JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali told That, “The announcement will be a written agreement resolving all issues to run a stable coalition for five years. That is why it has taken so long. We wanted everything to be on paper so that the government could run smoothly for its full term under the chief ministership of H D Kumaraswamy.”
