JD(S) gives Bangalore North LS seat to Congress

Karnataka minister Krishna Byre Gowda was Monday named the Congress candidate for Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat, which its coalition partner JD(S) gave back to it. The decision to field Gowda, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayatraj, was taken at a meeting attended by Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, according to the CLP leader's office.

The choice of Byre Gowda was telephonically conveyed to JDS patriarch H D Deve Gowda, who also gave his consent, it said. The Congress earlier in the day said the JD(S) conceded the seat and thanked Deve Gowda for the gesture.

The announcement was made with just two days left for filing of nominations for the first phase of polls in Karnataka to be held on April 18. AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal thanked Deve Gowda for the move calling it a "kind gesture." "Indian National Congress is thankful to Shri H D DeveGowda ji and the JD(S) for their kind gesture of giving backthe Bengaluru North Lok Sabha seat to the Congress.

Together,let us reclaim democracy," Venugopal said in a post on hisFacebook page. Tuesday is the last date for the filing of nominationsfor the first phase of Lok Sabha polls.

Bangalore North, which will go for polls in the first phase, is one among the eight seats that the JD(S) had got in a seat-sharing deal with the Congress that will contest in 20 out of total 28 seats in the state. The move by JD(S) to concede the Bangalore North seat to the Congress comes after Deve Gowda on Saturday made official his decision to contest polls from Tumkur.

Though there was pressure within the JD(S) for their party supremo to contest from Bangalore North, it was apprehensive about Congress' complete support there as most party's MLAsthere are considered close to Gowda's bete noire Siddaramaiah. It was feared that the MLAs may seek to take revenge for the former Chief Minister's defeat from Chamundeshwari in the 2018 assembly polls.

According to sources, the JD(S) decided to give up the seat to the Congress on not finding any suitable candidate in the party from the seat. Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who was representing the seat from BJP, has been fielded once again by the party from the constituency.

He filed his nomination on Monday..