Karnataka - Mysore   

Congress, AIPJD discuss seat-sharing

Staff Correspondent

`The parties have agreed to share equally 42 zilla panchayat seats in Mysore'

POLL READY: H. Vishwanath (right), former Minister, meeting All India Progressive Janata Dal leaders led by the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Mysore on Tuesday. — Photo: M.A. Sriram

MYSORE: Beating the November 30 deadline to file nominations for the zilla and taluk panchayat elections, leaders of the Congress and the newly formed All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) led by the former Deputy Chief Siddaramaiah held several rounds of talks to finalise a seat-sharing arrangement in the district for the December 19 elections.

The talks, which began late on Monday night, continued throughout the day on Tuesday. Mr. Siddaramaiah and the former Ministers H.C. Mahadevappa, H. Vishwanath and M. Shivanna participated in the discussions on seat-sharing.

The leaders told The Hindu that the talks on seat-sharing between the two parties for the district were held as part of a "loose understanding" between the Congress and the AIPJD to have a tie-up at the local level in all districts for the panchayat elections. "The understanding enjoys the blessings of the Congress party's State leadership," a senior Congressman said.

Senior leaders of both parties said Mysore is not the only district where such seat-sharing pacts are being sealed. Similar talks are on in Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Hassan and other districts.

An AIPJD leader said leaders of both parties have arrived at an agreement to share equally 42 zilla panchayat seats in the district, where Mr. Siddaramaiah has a huge following. Similarly, an understanding has been arrived at for various number of seats in all the seven taluk panchayats in the district.

Besieged

Mr. Siddaramaiah was besieged by a large number of ticket seekers in Mysore on Tuesday. Hundreds of aspirants crowded the residence of C.N. Mruthyunjayappa, a staunch loyalist of Mr. Siddaramaiah, where the AIPJD leader was scheduled to meet them. The aspirants made their claims before Mr. Siddaramaiah during the meeting, which lasted over two hours. However, a final decision on issuing the party tickets was deferred till an understanding is arrived with the Congress.

Mr. Siddaramaiah, who is already understood to have clinched a deal on seat-sharing with the Congress in Mandya district during talks with Ambarish, MP, in Bangalore on Monday, met Congress leaders Vishwanath and Chandraprabha Urs in Mysore on Monday night.

The leaders of both the parties concluded that backward classes and Dalits were common supporters of the two parties. In an effort to prevent a split in their votes, which will benefit the Janata Dal (S), the leaders agreed to forge an alliance.

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