As they got down to details of a possible seat-sharing formula, Karnataka’s coalition partners, Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress, both pointed out that they would be flexible with the negotiations. The two parties successfully fought by-elections together a few months earlier and they are also used to various local pacts. But this is the first time the two parties will be facing a Lok Sabha election as pre-poll allies. By most accounts, it’s a tricky task.
Tricky, because the Congress has a wider presence across the state while the JD(S) is firmly entrenched in southern Karnataka. In many of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, especially in the northern districts, the smaller party is not much of a factor, says political commentator Narendar Pani. “So, we are talking about, maybe, 10-12 constituencies where the Congress and JD(S) are the main rivals,” he says. Both parties will look to protect their turf, being wary of ceding ground to the other.
Last weekend, JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda indicated that his party...
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