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Lok Shakthi prepared to go it alone in Karnataka if BJP acts pricey

The Lok Shakthi is prepared to go it alone in the next assembly elections in Karnataka if the Bharatiya Janata Party snapped its ties with it, Dr Jeevaraja Alva, the party's state president said today.

Party national president Ramakrishna Hegde would be projected as the chief ministerial candidate contrary to his wishes, he said.

Alva, addressing the members of the state council and the district party presidents, after he was elected unopposed as the party president, said state BJP president B S Yediyurappa should realise that the alliance was reached at the national level by former BJP president L K Advani and Hegde.

It was improper on the part of the BJP state unit to talk about snapping of ties, especially when the Lok Shakthi was a constituent of the BJP-led coalition at the Centre and Hegde, a member of the Vajpayee ministry.

He, however, declined to comment on the future of the alliance but said Lok Shakthi would play a decisive role in the formation of the next government in Karnataka after the elections due later this year.

He said the Lok Shakthi had grown from strength to strength and was in a position to put up candidates in all the 224 constituencies.

Dr Alva said a major decision on the party's future directions would be announced by Hegde at a conference to be held in Bangalore on February 16, to mark the party's second anniversary.

Dr Alva's election today marked the completion of the party organisational elections. Elected presidents from 30 district units and 209 state council members attended the meeting. Returning officer John Coutinho said the elections to the Belgaum, Koppal and Davangere district units could not be held due to various reasons.

A resolution moved by party vice president Vishwanatha Reddy Mudhnal seeking Dr Alva to nominate the members to the state executive and national council in consultation with Hegde was unanimously approved by the gathering after nominations, which were filed earlier for the same, were withdrawn.

UNI

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