The number of seats BJP-JD(S) alliance will win in Karnataka in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections will not cross single digits, claimed Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M. Lakshmana.
Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Sunday, Mr. Lakshmana mocked the claims of the BJP leaders that the alliance partners will sweep all 28 seats in the State. “The alliance will not cross single digits in Karnataka. You can mark my words,” the Congress leader said.
The Congress party will not make any grandiose claims like winning all the 28 seats. “But, we will cross 20 seats. Our target is to reach 20 to 22 seats,” he said.
Confusion
Mr. Lakshmana said there was a lot of confusion over the seat-sharing arrangement between BJP and JD(S) in the State.
He said there was speculation in the media that the BJP candidates will contest on JD(S) symbols in some seats while JD(S) candidates will be contesting on a BJP symbol in other seats.
While three constituencies including Mandya and Hassan are believed to have been given to JD(S), there is speculation that the BJP candidate will contest on a JD(S) symbol in Tumkur. Similiarly, the JD(S) candidates are rumoured to contest on BJP symbols in Kolar and Bengaluru Rural, he said. Of late, there is also speculation that JD(S) will field its candidate on the BJP symbol in Mysuru, Mr. Lakshmana said urging the leaders of the two parties to clarify the confusion.
Claiming that there was a lot of dissatisfaction among the rank and file of JD(S) as well as BJP, Mr. Lakshmana said the incumbent BJP MPs were facing the backlash of workers and voters in many constituencies in the State.
He cited the example of Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, who is facing the “Go Back” campaign in Udupi-Chikmagaluru Lok Sabha constituency.
Claiming that a majority of the people behind the post-card campaign against her in her constituency were from the BJP itself, Mr. Lakshmana said there was similar disenchantment towards many other BJP MPs in the State.
Mr. Lakshmana expressed sympathy over the plight of Mandya MP Sumalatha, who had been harbouring hopes of returning to the fray in the forthcoming elections as a BJP candidate.
Recalling her efforts to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the constituency while declaring her support to him, the KPCC spokesperson said the BJP had left Ms. Sumalatha high and dry as the constituency is expected to be allotted to JD(S) in the seat-sharing arrangement with its alliance partner.
Mr. Lakshmana ruled out the possibility of Congress fielding Ms. Sumalatha. The Congress party’s candidate for Mandya has already been finalised and only a formal announcement is awaited, he said adding that the chosen candidate had already begun working for the elections.
