Budget not election oriented: Kumaraswamy

Bangalore, Mar 16 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today asserted that the JD(S)-BJP coalition will run its full steam of 27 more months and will not be derailed after his tenure ends later this year.

Scotching reports that he would put an end to the coalition Government after 20 months as Chief Minister and go in for elections, Mr Kumaraswamy, in his post-budget reactions, said the Government would continue.

He said the budget, presented by Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who also holds the Finance Portfolio, was not election oriented, but would ensure allround development of the state.

Referring to the ban on arrack sale and lottery, Mr Kumaraswamy said the people's aspirations had been reflected in the budget. He complimented Mr Yediyurappa for presenting a progressive budget that would ensure development of the state and at the same time touch the rural people.

He said shedding the lip sympathy hitherto provided on development of the backward northern Karnataka, this budget had attempted to provide real development of the region as per the recommendations of the Nanjundappa Committee report. A special allocation of Rs 1,571 crore had been made for the region for the next fiscal, he added.

UNI