Bengaluru: It is official now. After long drawn tug-of-war, the seat-sharing matrix of the coalition partners-Congress and the JDS is final. As per the agreement, the JDS gets eight seats as against the 12 seats demanded by the party earlier.
What is notable is that a fierce competition had taken place between the partners to bag Mysuru-Kodagu and Tumakuru constituencies and now, the crisis seems to have been resolved. Kodagu-Mysuru constituency is in the Congress kitty and Tumakuru has been given to the JDS.
Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mandya, Bengaluru North and Vijayapura have been given to the JDS.
However, political pundits feel that though, from an outset it feels as though confusions have been laid to rest, the decision to give away some important Congress constituencies to the JDS will become a major cause for rebel activities in the Congress house.
It can be recalled that Tumukuru is the home turf of DCM Dr G Parameshwar. As the news spread, the Congress activists expressed their ire against the DCM. Though not confirmed, JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda himself is expected to contest from the said constituency.
Uttara Kannada dilemma: Within few hours before the seat sharing finalization, Uttara Kannada district in-charge minister RV Deshpande had stated that in his district the JDS has no base or winning record. “Only the Congress can pose a challenge to the BJP,” he stated. But with in minutes after the seat sharing agreement was finalised rebel broke out in the constituency. “It will be a cakewalk for controversial union Anant Kumar Hegde,” said a Congress leader.
The JDS has got Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency for itself. This too has left many shocked because the JDS has no identity in the coastal belt. “Where is the JDS in Udupi? In Chikkamagaluru the party was in the third position in the 2018 assembly election. Again an easy win for the BJP,” said a Congress leader.
Confusions had initially erupted between the ‘friends’ over the Mysuru-Kodagu constituency. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah was in no mood to give away Mysuru, his home turf to the JDS.
A sense of discomfort existed also due to Tumakuru, where sitting Congress MP was unhappy about the JDS asking for Tumakuru.
In a move, that may cause trouble to the coalition government, the Congress has given away both Tumakuru and Vijayapura constituencies to the JDS. Both of the constituencies have very strong presence of the Congress and fielding a JDS candidate means a defeat for sure.
A ‘GobackJDS campaign too has been started in Tumakuru to tell the JDS that it has no place in the constituency which is represented by the Congress!
Further, Bengaluru North constituency, which has five Congress MLAs representing the respective Assembly segment has been left for the JDS only because JDS Supremo Devegowda is said to be contesting from here.
The impact of the seat-sharing is something that is to be waited and watched for.
