The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Congress ready for polls: Moily

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 29, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress ready for polls: Moily

Special Correspondent

Says the party will not pressure EC to hold elections early

In 2004, the party forfeited deposits only in seven constitutions as against 42 by the BJP
Party ticket to be allotted based on ‘political viability’ of the candidates

BANGALORE: The Congress will not pressure the Election Commission for holding early elections in the State but its internal election set up is ready to face it anytime, Chairman of the Central Administrative Reforms Commission M. Veerappa Moily said here on Thursday.

Mr. Moily told presspersons that since the internal democracy of the party had been scrupulously maintained by the leadership, the party was now ready to face the election any time unlike other parties.

Mr. Moily said according to his estimate, the party would win not less than 133 seats whenever the State goes to elections. Even in the 2004 elections, the Congress had won the largest chunk of votes at 35.27 per cent despite being in the second position in seat earning (64).

He said the Congress had forfeited deposits at only seven constituencies but the BJP had forfeited deposits in 42 constituencies in the State during the 2004 elections. In the coming elections, the Congress would take up strict “quality control” of the candidates.

The party would strictly go by the “political viability” of the candidate.

He said at any cost, the party would regain power in Karnataka.

Detracators

Asked if the party would take action against “detractors” within the party, Mr. Moily said the internal vigilance system would take care of that.

Listing the alleged failures of the Janata Dal (Secular) -BJP coalition government, Mr. Moily said the Government had promised to add 1,500 MW of power to the State grid but in the 20 months that the coalition was in power, not even one MW had been added.

He said the State was reeling under 30 per cent power shortage and another 30 per cent was being lost in transmission and distribution but the Government had not done anything to improve the power position. He said there was still 12 to 13 hours of power shutdown in rural areas.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka