Horticulture Minister and senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader M.C. Managuli has said that his party will stake claim for the Vijayapura parliamentary constituency under the seat-sharing pact with the Congress.
Replying to a query at a press conference here on Wednesday, he said that JD(S) expects the Congress to allocate Vijayapura parliamentary constituency to them under the seat-sharing arrangement in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Chances of the JD(S)-Congress candidate winning the elections are bright this time, he said.
In support of his claims Mr. Managuli said that of the eight Assembly constituencies in Vijayapura district, which itself is a parliamentary constituency, JD(S) won in two — Sindagi and Nagathana — and lost by a slender margin in another two Assembly constituencies. JD(S) enjoys good voter base and organisational network in these four Assembly constituencies and in other constituencies too. Together with the Congress, JD(S) could win here comfortably. Considering all these factors, the Congress should consider offering this constituency to JD(S), Mr. Managuli said and added that both JD(S) and the Congress should fight the elections with a sense of unity.
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Mr. Managuli, who is the part of the Cabinet sub-committee on drought management, said the government had deposited ₹5 to ₹10 crore in each of the districts and given powers to the district administration to take up drought-relief works up to ₹five lakh without calling for tenders. The government is specially focussing on issues of drinking water, fodder supply and migration in rural areas, he said. Mr. Managuli has also assured clearing the proposal to set up a wine park at Vijayapura and having an independent building for the Karnataka State Spice Board here.