Karna PCC preparing for early LS polls: state chief Rao

Expecting early Lok Sabha polls by December, Congress in Karnataka today said it has begun preparations for the elections that it claimed would instal a "non-BJP" government at the centre.

In the run-up to the polls, Congress said it has decided to reorganise the party from grassroots to pradesh congress committee level.

"Election is fast approaching, Lok Sabha election is actually scheduled for next year, but we have information thatit may take place in December," Karnataka PCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters here.

There are chances that the elections are likelyto be advanced to December "because Prime Minister NarendraModi fears about not getting maximum number of seats fromnorthern Indian states as they got during previous elections," he said.

Rao said he was confident that the next government at the Centre would be a non-BJP government and there was "no doubt" about that.

"Modi government and BJP are calculating whether having early polls along with upcoming elections in couple of states (MP and Rajasthan) or soon after that would help them," he said.

KPCC today organised a meeting of its office-bearers and district congress committees heads that was attended by CLP leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah,deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, among others.

Rao said all office-bearers had been asked to conduct meetings at the block levels before August 15, following which block and district committees would be reconstituted.

Detailing the preparations towards organisingthe party, Rao said, on August 3, 4 and 5, the state leadership along with the party's general secretary in-chargewould have meetings with leaders' parliament-constituency wiseabout preparations for Lok Sabha polls.

"We have to prepare for the parliament elections fromnow itself, because if the election is in December, by October there are chances that notification will be issued, so we wantto strategise constituency wise," he said.

Along with that in all districts, the pary would hold district-level party conventions in August and September across the state, he said.

About alliance with JD(S), Congress' ruling coalition partner in Karnataka, for Lok Sabha polls, Rao said it has already been announced that they would join hands as the intention was to fight against BJP's "authoritarian, anti-poor, anti farmer" government and remove it.

"The decision has already been made by the party highcommand and every one is aware of it.

We will fight election together," Rao said, when asked about some party leaders reportedly being opposed to the move.