LS polls: Kumaraswamy meets Amit Shah, discusses seat-sharing in Karnataka

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and Karnataka JD (S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday and held a meeting for 30 minutes at his office.

Sources stated that Kumaraswamy met Amit Shah in the wake of taking a final decision on seat-sharing between the parties, and also regarding rise of dissent against JD (S) from certain BJP leaders in the state. Sources further explained that Kumaraswamy insisted with Amit Shah to allow JD (S) candidates to contest from Mandya, Hassan and Bengaluru Rural or Kolar Lok Sabha seats.

Though the alliance between the parties was declared four months ago, the seat-sharing is yet to be finalised. Sitting MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent candidate from Mandya seat, announced her support to BJP. She had stated that it is her final decision to contest from the Mandya seat.

Amit Shah has promised Kumaraswamy to take final call on seat-sharing soon and consider his demands to allow JD (S) candidates to contest from Mandya and Hassan Parliamentary seats after taking opinion from the state leadership.

Kumaraswamy’s son and actor-turned politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy accompanied his father during the meeting. JD (S) is hopeful of getting five to seven seats from the BJP majorly located in south Karnataka in the Lok Sabha elections.