Deve Gowda urges Rahul to cool 'resentment' of Cong MLAs on seat sharing
Bengaluru, Mar 15: Former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda Friday requested Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to cool the reported resentment of some party MLAs over the coalition government's seat-sharing arrangement to avoid political acrimony ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Gowda also said that he had not made up his mind on contesting from North Bengaluru.
"I am totally satisfied with the seat-sharing arrangement between our party and the Congress. We had demanded 10 seats, but got eight, considering that Congress is a major party.
All said and done, I do not want to create any political tension between our parties. I told Rahul Gandhi to move ahead with whatever seat-sharing arrangements we have arrived at.
There is hardly any time left for us. Our main aim is to defeat BJP," he told PTI in a telephonic interview from Arunachal Pradesh.
The coalition partners on Wednesday had announced that the JDS would contest from eight Lok Sabha constituencies and Congress from remaining 20 constituencies in Karnataka.
The announcement has reportedly sparked resentment among some Congress leaders, who have demanded cancellation of the seat sharing arrangement on the grounds it was impractical and detrimental to the coalition's electoral prospects.
Gowda said the coalition partners would overcome these 'minor hiccups' on or before the March 19 coordination committee meeting andhoped workers of both parties would realise BJP is their main opponent.
The March 19 meeting would be attended by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Coordination Committee Chairman Siddaramaiah, KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, he said.
The meeting would try to find solutions to minor problems, including the resentment in Congress aspirants and later chalk out dates and places of public rallies,Gowda said.
Asked if he was keen on contesting from North Bengaluru, Gowda said "I have honestly not made up my mind.
Last night Dinesh Gundu Rao requested me to fight from North Bengaluru and promised all help in the election."
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Man dies after 'assault' following bar brawl in Alappuzha; five held
Alappuzha (PTI): A 30-year-old man died after being allegedly assaulted by a group following a brawl at a bar in Ezhupunna here, police said on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as Nidhin, a native of Kumbalangi in Ernakulam district.
Police said five persons have been taken into custody and are being interrogated at the Aroor police station.
According to the FIR, a brawl broke out between Nidhin and three persons at a bar in Ezhupunna on Thursday night.
After coming out of the bar, Nidhin, who was sitting on his motorcycle by the roadside, was allegedly manhandled and kicked by the accused, the FIR said.
He soon lost consciousness and collapsed on the road.
People noticing Nidhin lying on the roadside, rushed him to a hospital in Kumbalangi, where he was declared dead, police said.
A case of murder has been registered on Friday and further investigation is underway.
Police said detailed statements of those in custody are being recorded, after which their arrests will be formally registered.
The body will be handed over to relatives after the post-mortem examination.
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