Seat sharing between the ruling coalition partners in Karnataka for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls will be based on "merit", the Congress said Thursday,even asit maintained that alliance with the JDS for parliamentary election "still holds good" as announced earlier.

Reminding about his party's unconditional support to the coalition government and H D Kumaraswamy as its Chief Minister, State Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao said seat sharing for Lok Sabha polls was something which has to be discussed and decided based on winnability.

"We have already announced alliance for Lok Sabha, as far as I can see, officially we are fighting this election together, that is the official stand of the Congress, and that is the official stand of the JD(S), and that is still holdinggood," Rao told reporters here.

He said the issue has to be discussed in the coordination committee and will be decided between the leadership of both parties.

"We will all sit down together and decide. We have not yet discussed with them (JD(S)) regarding constituency wise Lok Sabha seat sharing," Rao said.

Unhappy with the Congress' "big brother attitude" in the ruling coalition in Karnataka, JD(S) workers and local leaders have asked the leadership to contest all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the coming parliamentary polls, party sources had told PTI on Wednesday.

JD(S) workers and local level leaders are said to haveconveyed their position to the party supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda during the preparatory meetings of about eight districts.

Pointing out Congress' unconditional support for the government and Kumaraswamy as chief minister for five years, Rao said "On that there is no condition attached,but obviously seat sharing is something which has to be discussed."

"Ultimately seat sharing will be based on the "merit" of that particular constituency, who has got a better candidate, who can win more," he said, adding that aim will beto win maximum number of seats.

He said the process of negotiation for seat sharing should start soon, maybe January.

JD(S) sources have cited lack of proper response fromthe congress party, for its demand of 12 seats in Lok Sabha polls, as one of the reasons for its plans to contest all 28 seats.

Maintaining that allocation of portfolios to new ministers will take place Thursday as soon as Congress president Rahul Gandhi approves it, Rao ruled out any differences among party leaders and ministers on the issue.

"Everyone will ultimately abide by the high command'sdecision on portfolio allocation and there was no problem with it...there is no dispute on it," he said.

Portfolio allocation had emerged as concern for Congress leadership as new ministers lobbied for plum departments. Also, several senior ministers are not willing to shed key portfolios they have, adding to the worry.

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