Daijiworld Media Network - Dharwad (SP)

Dharwad, Mar 5: Chairman of the coordination committee of the state government and former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, revealed that Mandya Lok Sabha constituency has been ceded to JD(S). He was speaking to media persons on Tuesday March 5 at Hubballi airport.

On the interest shown by Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of former Congress MP, Ambareesh, who is no more, to contest the Lok Sabha election from Mandya, he clarified that the decision to contest as an independent candidate rests on her discretion. As this seat was earlier represented by JD(S) candidates, Congress could not lay claim on it, he explained.

Son of chief minister, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, is expected to be fielded by JD(S) from Mandya. Sumalatha Ambareesh has already expressed her decision to enter the fray from this constituency as a Congress candidate or independent.

Siddaramaiah, who said that seat sharing matrix has not yet been finalized for all seats in the state, added that the sharing of the constituencies is likely to be finalized between the coalition partners during the talks in the next three to four days. He said as per internal survey, the coalition candidates are likely to win about 20 seats in the Lok Sabha election from Karnataka.

On the issue of resignation by Umesh Jadhav, a Congress MLA from Chincholi, he felt that the Speaker may not accept it as complaint under provisions of anti-defection law has already been lodged by the party with the Speaker against Jadhav. Siddaramaiah recalled that he had written to the Speaker against four party MLAs, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, Narendra, and Mahesh Kumthalli, seeking their disqualification under anti defection law for anti-party activities.

Siddaramaiah said that he had heard that BJP has offered the MLAs over 25 to 30 crore rupees each, but hastened to add that he does not have proof about this offer.