JDS to seek 12 LS seats from Cong in K'taka: HDD

Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda Saturday said the coalition government in Karnataka was functioning “smoothly”, as he indicated that the party was looking for 12 out of 28 seats in the state to contest during next year’s Lok Sabha polls.

The statement comes days after local JDS leaders and party workers asked the leadership to contest all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, unhappy over the Congress party’s “big brother attitude” in the ruling coalition.

Gowda expressed confidence about arriving at a consensus on seat sharing with the Congress without any “hurdle” and said it was likely to be finalized by January 15.

“Let there be no unnecessary confusion regarding sharing for Lok Sabha seats…Kumaraswamy has expressed his opinion about JD(S) contesting from 12 seats, we (Congress and JD(S)) will sit and decide, we will do the seat sharing smoothly,” Gowda said.

He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi was busy after his party’s victory in three states and ministry formation exercise there.

Leaders of both parties would discuss seat sharing and try to finalise it by January 15 as Parliament session is on till January 8, Gowda said.

Suggesting that seat sharing would be done without any “hitch” between Congress and JD(S), Gowda said “We may get some seats in Mumbai Karnataka, some in Hyderabad Karnataka and some in old Mysuru region.. though old Mysuru is our base, all the seats cannot be expected from there.” 

He said the poll notification was expected by February end or early March.

Gowda also gave clear indication about his grandson Prajwal Revanna contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Hassan, the JD(S) bastion that he has been representing.

Pointing out that he has been associated with the constituency for the last 58 years in some way or the other, including as MP, Gowda said “People there have got some respect and love for me, but I cannot go on.

Prajwal Revanna has been working for about last eight years in the constituency, naturally there is opinion towards him there (Hassan),” he added.

Prajwal is the son of Gowda’s elder son and senior JD(S) leader, PWD minister HD Revanna, who was last year appointed party’s state general secretary, which was then seen as a push to his political aspirations.

Asked about him contesting the Lok Sabha polls, Gowda, citing health reasons and that age was catching up, said he has “not decided yet.” 

The former prime minister had in March said he would not be contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. However, recent reports suggest that pressure is mounting on him to contest from Bengaluru North and Mandya constituencies.
Complimenting the coalition government on farm loan waiver and other development works, Gowda said seven months had passed and the government was running smoothly despite some “small irritations.” 

He said the JD(S) national executive would meet on January 29 and 30, which would discuss Lok Sabha poll preparations in the states where the party has presence.

The State executive meeting involving party legislators, former legislators and office bearers would be held on January 3.

Gowda said at the meeting appointments of MLAs as heads of boards and corporations in one go and also filling of two vacant posts in the cabinet would be discussed.

JD(S) workers and leaders have been openly expressing their unhappiness against the Congress on a host of issues, including appointment of heads to boards and corporations that are yet to be finalised.