Congress to contest 20 Karnataka LS seats, JD-S 8 (Lead)

Bengaluru, March 13 (IANS) Karnataka's ruling Congress-Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) coalition on Wednesday reached a seat-sharing agreement under which they will contest 20 and 8 Lok Sabha constituencies respectively."Congress and JD-S seat-sharing for Karnataka #LokSabhaPolls2019 is confirmed. 20 for Congress and 8 for JD-S," state Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao tweeted.As per the pre-poll alliance between the two parties, the JD-S will contest from Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Hassan, Mandya, Bengaluru North and Vijayapura Lok Sabha seats.Congress will field its candidates from the remaining 20 seats -- Chikkodi, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Haveri, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Koppal, Ballari, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar and Chikkaballapura.JD-S supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda had earlier demanded his party be given 10 of the state's 28 Lok Sabha seats.The seat-sharing agreement was finalised after a meeting between Congress President Rahul Gandhi and JD-S Secretary General Danish Ali in Kochi on Wednesday evening.
--IANS bha/vd