'JD(S) firm on contesting 12 out of 28 LS seats'

A day after his son and PWD Minister H D Revanna targeted the Congress over allocation of portfolios to Cabinet ministers and appointments to boards and corporations, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda tried to play down the growing strife between the coalition partners.

Admitting that there were “confusions” between the two parties over appointments to the statutory bodies, Gowda however said that both parties would ensure that they will not jeopardise a “mutually beneficial” partnership.

Gowda also said that his party would reiterate its demand for contesting 12 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats. He said that notifications for the elections would be issued by the end of February or March first week next year, and that his party would soon initiate talks with the Congress on seat sharing.

“Rahul Gandhi is little busy now. Parliament session will come to a close on January 8. Following consultations with the Congress chief, the seat sharing will be determined by January 15,” he said.

He also said that the JD(S) national executive meeting will be held on January 29 and 30 to discuss the poll preparations in the states where the JD(S) has a presence.

Conceding that the rivalry between the Congress and JD(S) workers at the ground level were long standing in several districts, Gowda said that he would ensure that the disputes are resolved before general elections.

Citing the example of the recent Shimoga Lok Sabha bypolls, Gowda said that the victory margin between the JD(S) candidate Madhu Bangarappa and BJP’s B Y Raghavendra had been reduced only because of the partnership.

Gowda said that his party would zero in on legislators for positions including boards and corporations and political secretaries during the party’s state executive meeting on January 3.

On accusations that Congress’ Chikkaballapur legislator K Sudhakar crying foul over Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy trying to block his appointment as chairperson of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Gowda said that his son had opposed the appointment as the Supreme Court guidelines had specified a certain qualification for the post. Only somebody with technical expertise could be appointed to the post, he added. It’s not just the Congress which is protesting the JD(S)’ “interference”.

Accusing that the JD(S) was trying to appoint a “tainted” former vice chancellor of University of Mysore to the KSPCB, the BJP has written to Gowda urging him not to take such a measure.

Gowda, however, said that his party was not looking at appointing anybody for the post. Gowda also remained non-committal about his party filling up the two vacant positions in Kumaraswamy’s Cabinet.