Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 19: Even though JD(S) has been pressing for setting aside seat for its candidates a couple of constituencies in Old Mysuru region for the Lok Sabha election, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee election committee, at its preliminary meeting held on Monday, decided to retain all the constituencies currently represented by the party with itself.

JD(S) currently has MPs representing Mandya and Hassan. The party wants at least two more seats in Old Mysuru area where it has a strong base. It knows that it will be difficult for it to crack the BJP bastions in coastal and north Karnataka. Congress party therefore was facing the prospects of having to cede one or two Old Mysuru constituencies to JD(S). In Old Mysuru constituencies, JD(S) and Congress have been bitter rivals.

The election committee preliminary meeting, which was held on Monday, decided that the party has to field candidates in all the constituencies where it currently has its representatives. It decided to convince the high command about the justification behind this stand. However, it decided to leave the final decision to the discretion of the party president, Rahul Gandhi.