Parties gird up their loins for polls

Polling in 3 phases, on May 10, 16, 22. Results on 25.

With little time on their hands, political parties in Karnataka have begun to tweak their poll strategies and rush to the voters' doorsteps to secure support for ensuring assembly elections.

The three major political parties in the state "" the Congress, BJP and JD(S) "" went into a huddle at their respective party offices after the Election Commission announced the poll dates in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The Congress, which had been hoping for a postponement of elections as it was yet to sort out their internal differences, received a jolt when the EC declared the polling in three phases "" May 10, May 16 and May 22. Yet, the party maintained that it was ready to go to polls.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office, former deputy chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said: "We do not have much time with us as the election dates have been announced. We have decided to constitute four campaign teams and these will tour the state to explain to the people the achievements of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre."

The Congress, which is still distributing applications to persons seeking to contest on its ticket, has resolved to expedite the process.

"The manifesto will be readied shortly. We have requested the party's manifesto preparation committee to speed up their work," Siddaramaiah added. The Congress has resolved to intensify its poll campaign after the Ugadi festival.

The BJP, however, looks a bit relaxed as it hopes to ride high on the sympathy wave generated after coalition partner JD(S) dumped it in the power game in 2007.

Elated by the EC's announcement, BJP state president D V Sadananda Gowda said: "From the beginning we had been demanding that elections be held before the end of the President's Rule. We are quite happy with the EC's decision."

The JD(S) has also welcomed the EC's decision. Party spokesperson Y S V Datta told reporters: "We are prepared to face the elections. We have already drawn up a list of candidates who will be contesting in the coming elections."

The JD(S), which has undertaken a Jaithra Yatra across the state as part of the election campaign, organised a massive convention in Mysore on Wednesday.

The convention was used by party leaders H D Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy to slam the Congress and BJP on the development front. "We will get more aggressive in the coming days," a JD(S) leader added.