RAHUL TO OVERSEE K’TAKA SEAT PACT

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will meet Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) leader and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda in the second week of March to iron out differences within Karnataka’s ruling coalition over seat sharing for the national elections this summer. The JD(S) has demanded 12 out of Karnataka’s 28 Lok Sabha seats as per the formula the two parties had agreed upon when they formed the government in the state in May. The Congress and JD(S) formed the government even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats in 224-member house. The Congress got 80 seats while the JD (S) 37. The Congress has offered JD(S) six seats based on winnability but could eventually settle for 8, according to people aware of the developments.The Congress is willing to concede Hassan, Mandya and Shimoga Lok Sabha seats. It appears unlikely to give up its claim on Bengaluru North, Mysore, Tumkur and Chikkaballapur besides two seats in north Karnataka. Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao and deputy CM G Parameshwara held the preliminary round of discussions over seat-sharing this week with the JD(S) leaders HD Revanna and Adagur H Vishwanath. The Congress-JD(S) coordination committee is likely to meet and try to thrash out the issues on Monday. The panel includes Congress leader Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S). Congress has been arguing that winnability should be sole criterion for seat distribution despite the pact between the two parties.“Winnability of the candidates will be the only yardstick to decide seat-sharing agreement & we are hopeful that the outcomes of the meetings shall satisfy both the parties,” Siddaramaiah tweeted. “There is hope that there will be agreement on seat sharing... no ratio, who will win from where is important.” JD(S) leader Danish Ali hoped the seat-sharing deal would soon be finalised and added that the two sides will try to resolve all issues at the Monday’s meeting.