Ending days of dilemma over the cabinet portfolio allocation, finally Congress and JD(S) combine seems to have arrived at a conclusion. While the key Finance portfolio would remain with JD(S), as decided earlier, the Home Department would run by the Congress.
Contrary to previous reports, Congress has now agreed for Kumaraswamy to be the Karnataka Chief Minister for 5 years. None other than Congress president Rahul Gandhi joined the negotiators through a conference call to settle matters. Rahul said to have played a substantial role in the entire Karnataka episode. The high-level talks between Congress and JD(S) have become successful.
Congress and JD(S) combine is going to form a coordination committee which will meet regularly to ensure effective management of the partnership. It will also state that a common minimum programme will be drawn up, largely by distilling the manifestos of the two parties which contested elections separately. Kumaraswamy is going to announce the portfolio allocation today.
The interesting development is Congress and JD(S), which fought separately in the general elections and by polls, are going to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together in Karnataka. This is a crucial development that is a major blow to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah who are dreaming to get good number of Lok Sabha seats from Karnataka where it had won 100-plus MLAs in the recent general elections.
Congress and JD(S) admitted that the clash between them had given an edge to BJP in 2018 general elections and hence, they have decided not to give any such chance to BJP again in future. As the noise for United Opposition growing louder every day, Congress and JD(S) combine fighting 2019 Lok Sabha polls is a big set back to BJP.
