2:1 seat-sharing formula should go in favour of Congress in Karnataka: JD(S) leader

Senior Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader Danish Ali on Tuesday said the larger share should go to the Congress on a 2:1 seat-sharing formula in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's party leader suggested that of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress should get 18 seats, while the JD(S) 10 seats. Interestingly, there is no seat for Mayawati, who is Kumaraswamy's ally in the state, reported NDTV.

Ali was one of the interlocutors who helped the two parties forge a post-poll alliance in Karnataka in May to keep the BJP out of power.

"Friendly fight on any seat should be the last option... The Congress and the JD(S) should steer clear of it," Ali said.

His comments came as reports suggest there is a friction between the local leaders of the two parties. According to reports, many JD(S) leaders had asked the party leadership to contest all 28 seats. But it was party patriarch HD Deve Gowda who had stepped in and assured that the seat0sharing process will be smooth.

"Let there be no unnecessary confusion regarding sharing of Lok Sabha seats...Kumaraswamy has expressed his opinion about JD(S) contesting from 12 seats, we (the Congress and the JD(S)) will sit and decide, we will do the seat sharing smoothly," news agency PTI quoted Deve Gowda as saying.

The formal discussions, he indicated, would be finalised by January 15, as Parliament session will continue till January 8, Deve Gowda had said.

He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi was busy after his party's victory in three states and ministry formation exercise there.

Leaders of both parties would discuss seat sharing and try to finalise it by January 15 as Parliament session is on till January 8, Gowda said.

Suggesting that seat-sharing would be done without any "hitch" between Congress and JD(S), Gowda said: "We may get some seats in Mumbai Karnataka, some in Hyderabad Karnataka and some in old Mysuru region.. though old Mysuru is our base, all the seats cannot be expected from there."

Gowda also gave clear indication about his grandson Prajwal Revanna contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Hassan, the JD(S) bastion that he has been representing.