LS elections will be in Oct-Nov: BJP

Says Congress will not wait till the due date next year when the electoral climate will be adverse for it

The BJP today claimed Lok Sabha elections would be held in October-November as Congress heading the UPA would not wait till the due date next year when the electoral climate would be adverse for it.

"You can take it from me that central elections are going to held somewhere around October-November," senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu told a press conference. He claimed Congress is not in favour of Lok Sabha elections after assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Rajasthan as it has "no hope" of winning the four states.

According to him, UPA allies are becoming "restive" by the day and Congress fears that they might walk out of the ruling alliance, reducing it to a minority.

Thirdly, Naidu said weather would be "tough" in March-April-May next year (when elections are due) with "water problems and other issues", adding, the economic situation will also worsen next year, prompting Congress to go in for early elections in October-November.

He attacked UPA allies such as SP, BSP and NCP for continuing to support the alliance despite criticising Congress. "Some allies, which are under great pressure from public and their supporters, are excusing themselves for not withdrawing support on the pretext of keeping the communal forces at bay," Naidu said.

"People of India are intelligent enough to understand the falsehood of their charge." "I do assure them (UPA allies) that we (BJP) are not going to form an alternative government within this Lok Sabha. We are ready for elections. The UPA will collapse anytime."

On the May five Assembly polls in Karnataka, he said ruling BJP would fight it based on its performance in the last five years but admitted people are upset by "controversies" involving the party and "quarrelling" (among its leaders). He expressed confidence that BJP would return to power.

Naidu remained non-committal when asked if Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would campaign in Karnataka, saying the state and central election committees would finalise the list of candidates on April five and the list of campaigners would be decided thereafter.