Talks On Between Congress, Lok Shakti For Tie-Up

Talks are on between the former Chief Minister R Ramakrishna Hegdes Lok Shakti Party and the Congress on striking an electoral alliance for the coming by-elections to two assembly constituencies in Karnataka.

Confirming this, Jeevaraj Alva, state president of Lok Shakti, told reporters that preliminary talks took place in a very cordial atmosphere and the discussions were very encouraging.

He said the party had decided to contest from Annekal constituency and had requested the Congress to back the Lok Shakti candidate. Further discussions would be held on this and on the Dharwar south segment, he added. Lok Shakti, he said, had helped the Congress in the by-elections to assembly constituencies, and it expected that the latter would reciprocate the gesture. Alva also said that an enquiry must be held into the various purchases made in different sectors during the tenure of H D Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and urged I K Gujral to take steps in this regard. On the occasion Vishwanath Patil, a former MLA, announced his decision to join the Lok Shakti, along with 400 supporters in Gulbarga district.

 

Patil, who has been an MLA twice, had lost narrowly as an independent in the last assembly elections.