JD(S) returns Bangalore North to ally Congress

Bengaluru, Mar 25: Unable to find a suitable candidate, the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) has decided to return the Bengaluru North seat back to the Congress party.

"@INCIndia is thankful to Shri H D Deve Gowda ji and the JD(S) for their kind gesture of giving back the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha seat to the Congress. Together, let us reclaim democracy," KC Venugopal, general secretary and All India Congress Committee's (AICC) Karnataka in-charge, wrote on Twitter in the early hours on Monday.

Bangalore North was among the constituencies that JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda was considering to contest from. However, after much deliberation, he decided to contest from the Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency. This left his party with no other suitable candidate.

The seat is presently represented by Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda. BJP has won all the three Lok Sabha seats from the city since 2009, and is fighting to retain them.

Meanwhile, top leaders of the Congress met today to give a final shape to the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha election starting April 11. The CWC is the highest decision-making body of the party and is chaired by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Among other issues that are reportedly expected to be discussed at the meeting are the status of alliances between Opposition parties, as well as whether or not Rahul Gandhi should contest from Kerala or any another state from the South.

After the approval of the manifesto by the CWC, it is expected to be released on 2 April.