No possibility of mid-term polls in Karnataka: Siddaramaiah

The ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah Monday ruled out any possibility of mid-term polls to the Karnataka assembly.

"No, there won't be any mid term poll," he told reporters in Mysuru, days after former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda had sent alarm bells ringing in the Congress after he spoke of such a possibility.

In a sign of growing tensions in the coalition, Gowda last Friday said he has no doubt that there would be mid-term polls to the state assembly, but had backtracked later, saying he had spoken about urban local bodies election.

Gowda had also said he did not know how long the government, headed by his son H D Kumaraswamy, would continue and it was in the hands of the Congress.

Hitting out at state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa, Siddaramaiah said the former chief minister was"dreaming" about the collapse of the coalition government and him forming a ministry in the state.

"No one can respond to his (Yeddyurappa's) dreams (of forming government and becoming CM). He has been saying it forseveral times now. Whatever Yeddyurappa has said has notturned out to be true," he said.

Reacting to Siddaramaiah's comments in Bengaluru, Yeddyurappa said he was not dreaming of becoming chief minister as he has been in the post in the past.

"It is you (Siddaramaiah) who is dreaming about becoming chief minister once again and roaming, not me," he said, pointing at the clamour in Congress recently with some leaders seeking Siddaramaiah's return as chief minister again.

The clamour had caused resentment within the ruling coalition, with alliance partner JD(S) leaders and Kumaraswamy not happy about it.

Siddaramaiah and his supporters were forced to clarify that their demand was after the next assembly election.

Stating that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) was dissolved to reorganize the party, Siddaramaiah, who is the Congress Legislature Party leader, said, "We will have new office bearers and it will be a mix of old, new, young and seniors."