BJP to oppose K'taka Budget, to agitate for early polls

Bangalore, Feb 14 (UNI) BJP would strongly oppose any move to present the Karnataka Budget in the Parliament and also launch a statewide agitation for early election in the State, Yeshwant Sinha, in-charge of party affairs in the State, said today.

Addressing State level party meeting here, he said instead of seeking vote-on-account for three months since the State was under Governor's rule, the Government was trying to present a full fledged Budget in the Parliament. ''The Budget, if presented in the Parliament, will make it clear that the Centre intends to postpone the elections in the State,'' he added.

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram was expected here to discuss Budget proposals.

Mr Sinha said the BJP in Karnataka had already geared up to face the elections. He accused the Congress of resorting to ''unconstitutional means'' to postpone the elections in a bid to prevent BJP from coming to power.

He said BJP leaders would tour the State and launch 'rasta, rail and jail bharo' demanding early elections in Karnataka.

Senior BJP leader H N Ananth Kumar questioned the move and stressed that there was no political and moral mandate to do that.

''You cannot place a full-fledged Budget of Karnataka as there is no popular Government in existence (now in the State)'', he added.

State BJP President D V Sadananda Gowda alleged that the Governor had become a puppet in the hands of Congress, adding that transfer of officials had become a racket and Raj Bhavan had become Congress Bhavan.

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