Advani confident of winning Karnataka, rules out early LS polls

Hyderabad, May 17 (UNI) Expressing optimism that the BJP will win a clear majority in the Assembly elections in Karnataka, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani today ruled out early Parliamentary elections in the country.

He told reporters here that the Congress party had been toying with the idea of early polls if that party were to win in Karnataka. With no chance for the Congress party to win the elections in Karnataka, there was no scope for early Lok Sabha elections, he contended.

Evading a direct reply to a question whether the BJP would take the support of regional parties like the Telugu Desam Party, if necessary, after the next Lok Sabha elections, he expressed optimism that the BJP-led NDA would get the people's mandate in the Parliamentary elections.

Mr Advani expressed confidence that his party would not only emerge as the single largest party in Karnataka, but also achieve a clear majority this time so that its Chief Ministerial candidate B S Yediyurappa could provide a stable government in Karnataka.

Even in the last Assembly elections in Karnataka, the BJP had got the people's mandate to rule by emerging as the single largest party. In a way, the people had ''rejected'' both the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), he opined.

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