'Congress is nervous to face election in K'taka': Venkaiah

Bangalore, Jan 24 (UNI) Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu today alleged that Congress was making all efforts to ensure that elections to the Legislative Assembly in Karnataka were postponed as it had become 'nervous' of facing the electorate after a series of defeats in recent elections.

In an informal chat with newspersons here, he said the Congress had faced setback after the general elections in 2004 and encountered defeat in states like Bihar, Punjab, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.

While the BJP was experiencing an upswing, the Congress was on a 'downswing,' he remarked.

Urging the Election Commission to complete the process as any delay of holding the polls would be to 'unconstitutional and undemocratic,' he said the Congress could at best postpone its defeat but can not prevent the elections.

Taking exception to the remarks made by Congress leaders and others with regard to conferring 'Bharat Ratna' to former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, Mr Naidu said his party leader L K Advani had only reminded the Centre about conferring the award to such a great patriot, who had over five decades of parliamentary experience behind him.

There was nothing wrong in making such a recommendation as several eminent personalities, including former Prime Minister Jawaharalal Nehru, C Rajagopalachari and Sir M Visweswaraya were conferred with the title when they were alive, he pointed out.

Asked to comment on the efforts to form a Third front, he said firstly the Communists should clarify whether they supported the Congress or not. If the third front was formed the BJP would be too happy to take on with it, he added.

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