BJP to approach SC if polls are delayed

Bangalore, Mar 3 (UNI) Criticising the Congress for exerting pressure on the Election Commission for postponing election in Karnataka due to fear of a ''severe drubbing,'' BJP Leader and Former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said his party would approach the Supreme Court against any such move.

''The Congress is making attempts to stifle the Constitutional provisions and we will fight this,'' he said.

''According to the Constitution, it is mandatory to hold Assembly elections within six months and the Supreme Court also has issued directions in this regard in the past,'' he claimed.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the Congress in the state was trying to exert pressure on the Central Election Commission against the backdrop of the notification of the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission re-drawing boundaries of Assembly and Lok Sabha segments in the country.

''The Supreme Court also had directed that if any State Assembly was dissolved before it completed its term, mid-term elections should be held within six months of the expiry of the President's Rule,'' Mr Yeddyurappa said.

Party State President D V Sadananda Gowda will lead a delegation of party leaders and meet members of the Election Commission who were scheduled to visit the State tonight.

''The party will submit a memorandum appealing to the EC not to succumb to the pressures of the Congress and defer the elections beyond May,'' he said.

The State Election Commission had done a commendable job by removing a whopping 51 lakh names of bogus voters from electoral rolls and adding 20 lakh new voters.

The process of preparing voters' list under the delimitation of constituencies in over 13 districts was already completed and elections could be held before the expiry of the President's rule, he said.

UNI MV RS GM SB RN1654