JD(S) aspirants for the coming Lok Sabha polls have begun exerting pressure on leaders to fix the parameters of seat-sharing to give them ample time to prepare for the big fight.
Broad parameters
The percentage of votes secured by both the parties in a particular Lok Sabha Constituency in the recently concluded polls to Assembly, anti-incumbency factors for the incumbent Congress/JD(S) MP and winning possibility of the proposed candidate by both the parties will be the broad parameters set for sharing of seats, sources said.
These parameters will help the JD(S) in bargaining for Tumakuru, Chickballapur, Kolar, besides Hassan and Mandya being represented by the party, according to sources.
General understanding
There is also a general understanding of “proportionate sharing” of the seats: two-thirds for the Congress and one-third for the JD(S).
The indications of the coming together of Congress and JD(S), in urban local bodies (ULBs), to keep BJP away from power points to the fact that the Congress central leadership wants to cement ties, keeping in mind the LS battle ahead, said sources in the JD(S).
“Most of the issues that were bothering the coalition got sorted out in Friday’s coordination committee meeting,” said a source.
“The BJP’s national leadership has set its eyes on Karnataka and is conspiring to destabilise the coalition government just to send a message that the Mahaghatbandhan (grand alliance) of the Opposition will not work. The Congress leadership does not want to offend the JD(S) at this point on any front,” observed a senior leader.
The coalition partners have decided in the coordination committee meeting to project all pro-people and popular programmes of the coalition government, including farm loan waiver, as the contribution of coalition system, added the leader.