Congress-JD(S) national plan hits local hurdle

BENGALURU: New allies Congress and JD(S) may have embarked on a larger mission of stitching up a grand alliance at the national level to rein in the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. But the combine has already run into its first hurdle — Rajarajeswari Nagar and Jayanagar polls, where voting is due on May 28 and June 11, respectively.

JD (S) leaders said their party has offered a formula: supports the Congress in Jayanagar in return for the national party sparing it RR Nagar. Congress leaders, however, said their party wanted both the seats as it was better placed.


Sources in both parties said as part of their larger political scheme they are working on an arrangement to win at least 23 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats from the state. The JD(S) is bargaining for Mysuru and Shivamogga seats, apart from Mandya and Hassan which it holds currently.

“The main objective is to arrive at an amicable formula for the Lok Sabha elections, before which we have to address the issue of Jayanagar and RR Nagar,” said Basavaraja Horatti, senior JD(S) leader and MLC.

The hitch, however, is that the candidates of both the parties are already in the fray and they cannot be pulled out now. “At this stage, the parties can only announce support to a particular candidate and appeal to the electorate to vote for him or her,” said NK Mohanram, a political analyst.

M Ramachandrappa, Congress leader, said there is no question of sparing RR Nagar to JD(S) since sitting MLA N Muniratna is from Congress. Muniratna is fighting a triangular battle with BJP’s P Muniraju Gowda and GH Ramachandra from JD(S).

“It is unfair on the part of JD(S) to ask for RR Nagar which we hold. And in Jayanagar, the Congress has a fair chance of winning and hence we will not compromise on it,” said Ramachandrappa.