Sumalatha free to contest as an Independent: Siddu

Team Udayavani, Mar 5, 2019, 7:36 AM IST

Hubballi: Coalition government’s co-ordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that asserted that JD(S) candidate will be contesting from Mandya Lok Sabha Constituency.

Speaking to the reporters at Hubballi airport Siddaramaiah said that JD(S) candidate will be contesting from Mandya Lok Sabha Constituency and if Sumalatha Ambreesh, wife of actor-turned-politician wants to contest from Mandya she is free to contest as an Independent, because Congress cannot claim for Mandya seat being currently represented by JD(S) candidate.

Asserting that the JD(S) would contest from Mandya constituency, its bastion, in the coming Lok Sabha election, the party leadership on Sunday, March 3 had indicated that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is likely to be the candidate.

The Congress-JD(S) ruling coalition on Monday, March 4 held the second round of talks on the tricky issue of seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, with Congress saying they were moving in the right direction. 

The two parties had begun formal talks last week with the JDS insisting that 12 of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats be conceded to it, but party supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda indicated on Sunday, March 3 that they were ready to compromise.

The two allies, who had formed the government after striking a post-poll alliance as the May 2018 assembly elections threw up a hung verdict, had announced earlier that they would fight the Lok Sabha elections together.

Seat sharing will be a major test for both parties as the JD(S), banking on two-third, one-third formula adopted in ministry formation and allocation of boards and corporations, has demanded 12 seats out of the total of 28.

The Congress is opposed to this, maintaining that sharing of seats will be based on merit. Also, there is pressure from within Congress not to cede too many seats to JD(S), especially the 10 seats where the party has sitting MPs.

Sharing of seats from old Mysuru region is expected to be an acid test for both parties, as the JD(S) considers it as its bastion, and the Congress has its sitting members from most of the seats there.