Dissolve Assembly, Cong urges Karnataka Governor

Bangalore, Nov 5 (UNI) Flaying the BJP and the JD(S) in Karnataka for mending fences to forge an ''opportunistic alliance'' the Congress today urged Governor Rameshwar Thakur to recommend dissolution of the state Legislative Assembly.

Launching a tirade against the two parties, who have staked a claim to form the government for the second time, at a rally here, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Mallikarjuna Kharge said the party would rather seek a fresh mandate from the people of the state.

Recalling the manner in which the JD(S) and the BJP had indulged in mudslinging after the collapse of their coalition government, he claimd the two parties had now joined hands again to form the government only due to ''hunger'' for power.

The Governor should not succumb to the ''pressure tactics'' of the two parties, he added.

Calling upon party workers to remain united and work hard to strengthen the party organisation, Mr Kharge said only the Congress could give protection to all sections of the society.

Claiming that in the recently-concluded local body elections in the state, the party had secured the highest number of seats, he exhorted the party workers to prepare for mid-term elections.

Denying that the Congress had tried to break the JD(S) as claimed by former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, the KPCC President declared that his party wanted to face elections and form a government in Karnataka on its own.

Former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Dharam Singh alleged that the development works in the state had suffered during the previous JD(S)-BJP coalition government as it ''failed totally'' to implement flood and drought relief works.

''The JD(S), which dubbed B S Yeddyurappa, the most ''inefficient''Finance Minister of Karnataka, was now ready to accept him as the Chief Minister,'' Mr Singh said.

Former minister D K Shivakumar, addressing the rally, took serious exception to the alleged remark by BJP leader H N Ananthkumar against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and MP Rahul Gandhi.

Union Ministers from the state K H Muniyappa, M V Rajashekharan, former Deputy Chief Minister Sidharamaiah, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha K Rahman Khan and Lok Sabha member Ambareesh also addressed the rally.

UNI