BENGALURU: The Congress party on Monday decided to replace the original nominee for the deputy speaker post, Virajpet MLA A S Ponnanna, with Bhatkal MLA Mankal Vaidya.Ahead of Tuesday’s elections to the deputy speaker post, Vaidya with chief minister D K Shivakumar and other senior legislators from the party including cooperation minister Laxma Savadi filed the nomination papers. Ponnana was also present to show unity within the party.According to party sources, Ponnanna was replaced by Vaidya on account of consolidating the smaller other backward classes (OBC) communities. The Bhatkal MLA hails from the Mogaveera community.Barring the Kurubas, and the appointment of B K Hariprasad, the smaller OBC communities had only one cabinet berth.In fact, Vaidya himself was replaced at the last moment to accommodate another Lingayat minister in S S Mallikarjun.At the other end, the party decided to retain Umashree as its deputy chairman candidate and filed the papers at the legislative council.Umashree is currently the only woman face in power across all constitutional and executive posts filled by the ruling Congress party.However, CM Shivakumar has assured that he will induct a woman face shortly into his cabinet.
