Bengaluru: The Election Committee of Karnataka Congress met yesterday and names for 15 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats were finalised, which will be submitted to the party’s screening committee for consideration.
Senior Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, President Dinesh Gundu Rao and G Parameshwara were among others who discussed the seats.
State CLP President Dinesh Gundu Rao has tweeted that the sitting MP constituencies of both INC & JD(S) were not discussed at the meeting and that for the remaining 15 seats a panel of names were finalised for submission to the screening committee which is to begin on 11 March in New Delhi. The Congress deferred discussion on shortlisting candidates for 13 Lok Sabha constituencies.
According to media reports, at least three names have been finalised for each of the constituencies. Shivamogga constituency candidate was not discussed as it would be held by the JD(S).
Even as there is pressure from within the Congress not to cede too many seats to JD(S), seat-sharing talk between Congress President Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) chief Deve Gowda was held on Wednesday and it was inconclusive. Although Gowda had earlier demanded 12 out of the 28 seats, he came down to 10. The seat-sharing agreement is likely to be finalised soon and would be announced by 10 March, said Gowda after the meeting with Rahul.
As of now, BJP holds 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, Congress 10 and JD(S) 2.