Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the seat sharing between the JD(S) and Congress for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be purely based on winnability rather than ratio of seats allocated to both the parties.
“Seat sharing cannot be on any ratio but should be on winnability as defeating BJP is the primary goal of both parties coming together,” Siddaramaiah said while addressing reporters in Hubbali. Siddaramaiah’s statement comes as both the parties have started the first round of talks with the JD(S) reportedly sticking to a demand of 12 out of the 28 seats.
The decision to form a pre-poll alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was taken by the top brass of the two parties at a press conference just a week after Kumaraswamy won the floor test after days of political uncertainty in Karnataka in mid-2018.
The demand for 12 seats is more than the 1:3 formula applied for allotting ministership and chairmanship of boards, agreed during the formation of the post-poll coalition government post-Assembly polls.
A meeting was also held on Monday between KPCC president DInesh Gundu Rao, Deputy CM G Parameshwara, JD(S) state president AH Vishwanath, JD(S) MP Kupendra Reddy and PWD minister HD Revanna.
Confirming the development, former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda said, “I will not intervene at this juncture. However, if need be, I will hold discussions with the Congress’ national leaders in Delhi.”
Deve Gowda has also previously said that he will only hold talks with AICC president Rahul Gandhi on the seat sharing issue.
Echoing Siddaramaiah’s statement, HD Revanna also said, “Our main aim is to keep away the communal forces. It is not about how many seats which party will contest. We are determined to win all 28 seats together. Senior leaders will finalise the seats.”
The initial seat sharing talks began on Monday after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had raised alarm bells last week stating that his party were “not beggars”, reacting to speculation that they will be given a handful of seats.