Cong, JD-S looking at wider canvas of opposition unity

Some of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle called ‘opposition unity’ are falling in place. The developments in Karnataka have, by default, changed the dynamics of the equations between the Congress and the regional parties.

After a meeting between HD Kumaraswamy and the Gandhis, the Congress on Monday even hinted at the possibility of a broader alliance with the JD(S) ahead of next year's general elections. "We don't want it to be confined only to power sharing but a future alliance... Both reciprocated the feelings," said Congress' senior state leader KC Venugopal after the meeting, in which the immediate concerns about power sharing were also discussed. There was an agreement, however, to concede the Speaker’s post to the Congress. The first test case of ‘unity’ was presented by the disagreements between the JDS and the Congress over the post of deputy chief minister the Congress wants two deputies but Kumaraswamy's party won't have more than one. The Congress would also like one post to go to a Lingayat and the other to a Dalit. But JDS feels he will be hemmed in by such an arrangement. DK Shivakumar is among those in the race for the proposed second post.

A part of the problem is that the Congress won 78 seats, as against the JD(S)' 38, and so expects a lion's share of the ministries.

Meanwhile, it is all set for the oath ceremony on Wednesday, which is to become a show of opposition unity and strength. Leaders of 11 opposition parties and Chief Ministers of four states -- Andhra Pradesh's N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana's K Chandrashekar Rao, Bengal's Mamata Banerjee and Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal -- are expected to attend Kumaraswamy's oath ceremony. The gathering is likely to set the course for a future anti-BJP formulation.

Meanwhile, the Congress and the JD-S are not resting on their laurels and till the trust vote, the lawmakers will be confined to their respective hotels.