JD(S) returns Bangalore North seat to Cong

With eight out of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka in its kitty under a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress, the JD(S) has decided to return one of the seats to its ally. The party was struggling to find a strong candidate, after former prime minister and party president HD Deve Gowda, who was tipped to contest against Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda from this seat, opted for the relatively safer Tumkur constituency. Gowda had suggested the option of fielding a Congress leader as the JD(S) candidate, but Congress leaders, including State Minister Krishna Byregowda, turned down the offer. AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal released a statement saying, "The Indian National Congress is thankful to Shri HD Deve Gowda and the JD(S) for their kind gesture of giving back the Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat to the Congress. Together let us reclaim democracy." The Congress has fielded Krishna Byregowda, one of its five MLAs from the eight assembly segments in Bangalore North. The Lok Sabha constituency has a sizeable population of Vokkaligas, backward castes and minorities, putting the Congress-JD(S) alliance in a strong position.