JD(S) may get only 5 LS seats to contest in Karnataka

The Congress is likely to bargain hard with JD(S) in sharing seats for the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.

After the Congress won Assembly elections in three states, many senior leaders in the state unit feel that it should contest from more seats in Karnataka.

The state leaders feel the party should spare a maximum of five seats to JD(S) including two held by the regional party.

“A large number of Congress workers are against having a truck with JD(S). When K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka, held district-wise office-bearers’ meetings to seek their views, there were strong opposition to leaving seats to the JD(S),” said the leader.

Since Congress president Rahul Gandhi himself is very keen on the alliance with JD(S), the party will definitely have a pre-poll pact with JD(S), but will not spare many seats for it, he said.

Though seat-sharing talks are yet to be held, Congress has already started the homework.

Despite the JD(S) seeking 12 seats, including all from South Karnataka, the Congress is likely to leave for the former only Bangalore North, Shimoga and Mysore or Udupi-Chickmagalur, besides Mandya and Hassan held by the JD(S).

The party is of the view that despite Congress winning 80 seats in the Assembly elections, it gave the chief minister’s post to JD(S), which won only 37 seats.

The grand old party must reciprocate by giving up its demand for more seats in the general elections, said the leader.

The Congress does not want to let go of Tumkur, Bangalore Rural, Kolar and Chikkaballapur, as demanded by JD(S), where the regional party has strong presence.

Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has already said that Congress should be liberal in seat-sharing and it should not ignore the strength of regional parties.

He cited the victory of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana and MNF ( Mizo National Front) in Mizoram, where Congress lost miserably, to hammer home the point that national parties should not ignore regional outfits.