Congress to go it alone in next elections in K'taka

Bangalore, Aug 3 (UNI) The Congress will go it alone in the next elections in Karnataka and will not form coalition Government in alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) again, KPCC President Mallikarjuna Kharge today said.

Talking to newspersons at the airport, where he had come to see off Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was on a day's visit to the city, he said the party was confident of winning a clear mandate in the event of early elections as the JD(S)-BJP coalition Government was counting its days due to bickerings between the coalition partners.

Reacting to Dr Singh's call to the partymen to be prepared for early elections, Mr Kharge said ''We are ready for it. The rank and file of the party is not in favour of having alliance or poll understanding with any party in Karnataka. They are also against forming another coalition Government along with the JD(S).'' He dismissed as rumours, reports that the party high command was contemplating to initiate steps to form a coalition Government again in the State.

Mr Kharge's reaction assumed significance in the wake of the recent meetings between party leaders like Union Minister of State for Planning M V Rajashekaran and JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda.

According to the pre-government formation agreement between the JD(S) and the BJP, JD(S) would have to transfer Chief Ministership to the BJP on October 3. The coalition partners had agreed to share the top post for 20 months each, before the next polls are due.

UNI