Bengaluru: Janata Dal (Secular) leaders are likely to bypass state Congress leaders and deal directly with Congress President Rahul Gandhi to finalise seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls and ensure they get 12 seats of the 28 in Karnataka and nothing less.
If the body language of JD(S) leaders at Monday's meeting is any indication, it may not be surprising if they finally get the 12 seats they have been talking about though state Congress leaders are not prepared to give them anything more than nine.
JD(S) general secretary Danish Ali reportedly told Congress leaders that his party supremo would talk with the Congress president and demand 12 seats some of which are presently held by Congress MPs.
Since the Congress has voluntarily extended support to the JD(S) to form the coalition government, Mr Gowda and Mr Kumaraswamy usually meet Mr Rahul personally to get vexed issues resolved without the involvement of state leaders. Though this has irritated state Congress bigwigs, they are helpless as the stability of the coalition is more important for the Congress than JD(S) to keep the BJP at bay. In fact, a couple of Congress leaders had reportedly advised CM H.D. Kumaraswamy not to rush to Mr Gandhi all the time as state leaders were capable of resolving any dispute.
Sources told Deccan Chronicle that Mr Deve Gowda during his meeting with Mr Gandhi, may bargain for a dozen seats while promising a rosy future for the Mahaghatbandhan in Karnataka in the LS polls. But state Congress leaders are sure to raise a hue and cry if the JD(S) manages to get the Tumakuru and Chikkaballapura LS seats, currently held by Congress MPs, along with the Mandya and Hassan seats.
