Date:03/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/03/stories/2006040315270300.htm

Karnataka - Bellary

Venkaiah predicts collapse of UPA after Assembly polls

Staff Correspondent

Says BJP will return to power at the Centre

BELLARY: Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu said here on Sunday that his part will come back to power at the Centre.

The United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre will fall soon after the Assembly elections in five States, he said.

Mr. Naidu, who addressed party workers here, said there is no scope for the Congress to win in all the five States and this will lead to the fall of the UPA Government.

`BJP not anti-Muslim'

He said the BJP was not anti-Muslim and accused the UPA of setting a bad precedent by taking several steps to appease the minorities.

He alleged that the Centre had not released funds for various development schemes initiated by the National Democratic Alliance government, including road development.

Appeal to party workers

BJP State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda stressed the need for party workers to exercise care to prevent new problems from cropping up. Efforts are on to organise the party in the State and the work has been started from Bellary, where the party has been emerging stronger. H.N. Ananth Kumar, MP, said Congress president Sonia Gandhi has not made any sacrifice in resigning from the Lok Sabha.

Tourism and Textiles Minister B. Sriramulu and Bellary MP G. Karunakar Reddy were present.