The Karnataka Janata Paksha, which is strengthening its organisation ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, has decided to contest from at least 11 of the 28 parliamentary constituencies in Karnataka. However, a final decision will be taken after talks with the NDA. In fact, it has already announced to ally with it in the LS polls.
The constituencies identified to field its candidates are Bangalore (Central), Belgaum, Chikkodi, Bidar, Davangere, Dharwad, Gulbarga, Haveri, Shimoga, Tumkur and Udupi-Chikmagalur.
This decision was taken at the 19th executive committee of the KJP held on September 18 and the party leaders have already started touring these constituencies. Recently, a party workers’ conference was held in Davangere. KJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa will address party workers and leaders in Belgaum on September 30, Hubli on October 3 and Gulbarga on October 9, said MLC and KJP’s State general secretary M.D. Laxminarayana.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, he said the KJP could win only six seats in the last Assembly elections, although it contested for 209 of the total 224 seats in the State. But, it secured second place in 41 Assembly constituencies and lost with a narrow margin of 200 to 2,000 votes. This indicated growth prospects for the party, he said.
Mr. Laxminarayana said the KJP has taken a firm decision against a merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Some leaders in the BJP were deliberately creating confusion and misleading people on the issue. Mr. Yeddyurappa was “now” firm about not merging with the BJP.
Mr. Laxminarayan refused to comment on whether the KJP had struck a secret understanding with the Congress to contest from the BJP strongholds or where Congress had bright prospects.
However, he said a final decision on seat-sharing with the NDA and its member, the BJP, would be taken at an appropriate time.
