Bengaluru March 27 (IANS) The ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka on Tuesday welcomed the single-phase Assembly polls on May 12 while regional party Janata Dal Secular (JD-S) termed it a setback.
"The JD-S had requested the Election Commission (EC) to conduct the polls in two or three phases as we are a regional party with limited number of campaign leaders.
"It is very difficult for us as a regional party. Single-phase polls is a setback for us " JD-S state spokesman Ramesh Babu told IANS here.
Single-phase polling for the 15th 225-member Assembly will be held on May 12 and the votes counted on May 15 the EC announced on Tuesday.
BJP President Amit Shah who is on a two-day tour in central Karnataka expressed confidence over a poll victory.
"The BJP welcomes the poll announcement. We are confident that we will form the next government in Karnataka under the leadership of (BJP state President) B.S. Yeddyurappa " Shah told the media in Davanagere about 260km northwest from here in Davanagere district.
Congress state unit chief G. Parameshwara said the party was election-ready.
"The Congress welcomes the EC s (poll) announcement... we are election ready " tweeted Parameshwara.
The JD-S spokesman ruled out any pre-poll tie-up of the party with the BJP or the Congress.
"The JD-S is very clear in the matter (over alliance with other parties) that it wants to maintain equidistance from both the BJP and Congress " Babu said.
"Both parties are two sides of the same coin not caring about the people and farmers of Karnataka " he said.
In the 225-member Assembly including one nominated there are currently 122 members from the ruling Congress 43 from the Bharatiya Janata Party 30 from the Janata Dal-Secular eight Independents 14 vacant seats with a few others from regional parties.
Of the 224 Assembly constituencies 36 are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 15 for the Scheduled Tribes.
A total of 4.96 crore electors have been registered in the southern state with the poll panel so far.
--IANS
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