The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Congress-Janata Dal(S) likely to revise understanding today

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Monday, May 31, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress-Janata Dal(S) likely to revise understanding today

S. Rajendran

Earlier pact may cost the former principal Opposition status

Congress has 17 members in the Council, while Janata Dal (S) has 15
It is now planning to give only one seat to the Janata Dal (S)

BANGALORE: The understanding between the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) for the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Council elections is stated to be under revision given the fact that the former may lose its principal Opposition party status in the Upper House here if it gives away two seats to the latter.

Support

Sources in the Congress told The Hindu on Sunday that the understanding reached on Friday with the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy was that their party would extend support to two Council seats in exchange for the Janata Dal (Secular) support to the Congress for the second Rajya Sabha seat.

Union Minister and Congress General Secretary in-charge of State unit of the party Ghulam Nabi Azad and senior leader Ahmed Patel clinched the understanding with the Janata Dal (S).

This was also communicated to All-India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi.

One seat to JD(S)?

It is stated that the Congress is now planning to give only one seat to the Janata Dal (S) considering the view of its leaders that the Rajya Sabha seat matters more than the strength of the party in the Legislative Council of the State. The Congress has 17 members in the Council, including the Chairman, while the Janata Dal (S) has 15 members.

Strength

With two members from the Congress and one from the Janata Dal (S) completing their term, the two parties will end up with the same strength if the former extends support to the latter for two seats. The Congress has already announced the candidature of Council Chairman Veeranna Mathikatti.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council C. Motamma said that she had brought this matter to the notice of Ms. Sonia Gandhi. In the Lower House, the Congress has 74 members and the Janata Dal (S) 27.

For victory in the Rajya Sabha elections, a candidate has to secure 45 votes in the first round.

In the Legislative Council elections, a candidate has to secure 29 votes in the first round to emerge victorious.

May 31 is the last date for filing nomination papers for the seven seats in the Legislative Council for which polling will take place on June 10. The last date for filing nomination papers for four seats in the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka is June 7 and polling will be held on June 17.

Sources in both parties said that the understanding for the coming elections was likely to be finalised on Monday.

Postponed

The Janata Dal (S), which convened a meeting on Sunday to finalise its candidates (Suryanarayana Reddy, M. Srinivas or Asghar Aga), postponed it to Monday. The party's announcement is expected in the forenoon to enable its candidates to file their nomination papers on time.

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