BJP confident of winning K'taka polls: Jaitley

Bangalore, Mar 21 (UNI) BJP General Secretary and party in charge for Karnataka elections Arun Jaitley today expressed confidence that his party would comprehensively win the Assembly polls.

Talking to newspersons here, he alleged that the Congress, which badly lost the election in 2004, wanted to somehow postpone the polls.

He said his party would come out with a strategy in the next couple of days to gear up the election campaign.

''The betrayal by JD(S) and its political immorality will be a main plank in the campaign,'' he said, adding the trend favoured his party.

On AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's proposed tour of Karnataka, Mr Jaitley said, ''I am glad that after unsuccessfully leading the party in Uttar Pradesh, he is coming to Karnataka to face the same result.'' Reiterating that former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa would be the Chief Ministerial candidate, he appealed to the people to give full mandate to the BJP to provide a stable government.

On price rise, Mr Jaitley said the wholesale price index was shooting up at an alarming rate and the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre was responsible for this.

On alliance with the JD(U) to fight the elections in Karnataka, Mr Jaitley said a discussion was on in this regard and a decision would be taken soon.

About national security, he said, ''the BJP has highlighted the dangers of rising terrorist activities. We are surrounded by several states with Islamic terrorism to Moaism. We are adversely affected.'' UNI MSP RS KD AS1900