BENGALURU:  Coalition partners in Karnataka — Congress and JD(S) — have started prepping for the Lok Sabha polls due in a matter of months, albeit in different styles. While the JD(S) is nudging its partner to talk about seat-sharing, the Congress seems to be prepping constituencies with groundwork. Even as JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy are publicly seeking a number of seats, the Congress is quietly working in ‘contentious’ seats to gather favour and create a conducive environment for itself. 

Given the tensions that prevailed between grassroots workers during the bye-polls to Mandya and Shivamogga, the JD(S) in under pressure from its own party workers to seek a commitment from the Congress. The JD(S)’s urgency to begin negotiations for seat sharing stems from there. The Congress, analysts believe, is in no hurry to entertain its partner. Political observers — from both parties and outside — believe that the Congress is working its way to create a ‘favourable environment’ for itself in seats that the JD(S) is eyeing. 

Reviving the steel flyover project — one that is sure to win over voters of Bengaluru North — is one such attempt by the Congress. Two of the three ministers from Tumakuru in the cabinet are from the Congress. In Mandya and Mysuru, workers of both parties continue to be averse to the idea of working together and neither parties are willing to intervene.  Fully aware of the Congress’ move to secure its positions in seats that JD(S) may eye, Deve Gowda — by means of demanding a number of seats — has begun applying pressure on the Congress high command. 

“The JD(S) doesn’t have the strength to take on Congress at the ground level. But if they apply pressure on the high command, Congress can’t behave like they don’t care, especially when (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi is looking at a bigger alliance as the goal,” said a political analyst. 

The professor, however, observed that while state Congress leaders have been quiet, they are working at the constituency level to ensure victories with or without an alliance with the JD(S). If need be, he suspects that the partners may go at it individually in some seats and in alliance in others or have ‘friendly-fights’ like during urban local body polls. 

While some political analysts believe that the JD(S)’ number game is perceptional pressure tactics to force the Congress to start negotiations, others disagree. “Twelve is just the start of a bargain for the JD(S), but I suspect that they could settle for nine or eight. This is posturing,” said Prof Sandeep Shastri, political scientist. He insisted that unlike the urban local body polls, the alliance partners can’t afford ‘friendly-fights’. “The Congress is allowing the JD(S) to exhaust itself and then begin bargaining.”  

While JD(S) hopes to get its way through the high command, state Congress leaders say otherwise. “They may apply all the pressure they want but they have to sit with us for negotiations. It is right here that bargains will take place,” said a Congress office-bearer, adding that the JD(S)’ “jittery” behaviour could be stemming from the fact that Congress is moving fast in terms of making appointments and preparations. The statement from Congress comes on the day KPCC Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao told the media that there was no need to speak about seat sharing publicly. “The number of seats is not important but winning is,” he said.