Cong Seals Alliance With JD(S) in Karnataka, to Fight in 20 Seats

JD(S) will contest in Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shimoga, Tumkur, Hasan, Mandya, Bengaluru North, Vijayapura.

File photo of Congress president Rahul Gandhi with HD Kumaraswamy

(Photo: PTI)

The Congress party will contest 20 seats in Karnataka, leaving eight seats for the Janata Dal (Secular) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, tweeted KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, on Wednesday, 13 March.

The JD(S) will reportedly contest in Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shimoga, Tumkur, Hasan, Mandya, Bengaluru North, Vijayapura.

(Photo: ANI)

(Photo: ANI)

Notably, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shimoga, located in the costal and Malnad region are traditionally considered Bharatiya Janata Party strongholds. Of these constituencies, Tumkur is the only one that is currently held by the Congress.

The JD(S) is also being allotted Mandya, which means that wife of late actor Ambareesh, Sumalatha, will not be given a ticket. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Gowda’s is likely to contest from Mandya.

Earlier, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda said his party has “clinched 10 seats” out of the 28 seats in Karnataka.

“Earlier I had demanded 12 seats. Today, ultimately, I have clinched 10 seats, before the (Congress) national president Rahul Gandhi, and in the presence of his party general secretary Venugopal,” Gowda said, on 6 March.

The party had earlier insisted that a 2:1 ration system – which was used for distributing Cabinet portfolios in the coalition government – should be followed in seat sharing as well.

Karnataka will go to polls in two phases – on 18 and 23 April 2019.