Cong-JD(S) tie up for LS polls will yield rich dividends: KPCC chief

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said pre-poll tie-up of his party with the JD(S) for the Lok Sabha will fetch rich electoral dividends.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of KPCC office-bearers and district unit chiefs, Parameshwara rubbished reports that a section of Congress was unhappy with the pre-poll tie-up.

The JD(S) and Congress had stitched up a post-poll alliance at the state level after the recent Assembly polls yielded a fractured mandate with BJP emerging as the single largest party - with 104 members - falling short of the required numbers to form the government. The two parties decided to take their alliance to the national level after Congress president Rahul Gandhi held discussion with JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda in this regard.

“The alliance will win most of the Lok Sabha seats in the state,” Parameshwara said. Karnataka sends 28 MPs to the Lower House of Parliament.

Earlier, he told Congress district unit chiefs to come out with reports on reasons for the defeat of party candidates in the Assembly polls. He said that there was no need to prepare for the Lok Sabha polls now itself. Parameshwara dropped hints that Saturday’s meeting could be his last as KPCC president. “I will be completing eight years as party president. It is time to move on,” he said. The names of senior leaders D K Shivakumar, M B Patil, Krishna Byre Gowda, are doing the rounds for the KPCC president’s post.