Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna would present his fifth and final Budget of the Congress Government in the State Assembly tomorrow (Feb 5, 2004).

Krishna, who holds the finance portfolio, would seek a vote-on-account for four months, official sources told reporters.

Krishna decided to advance the presentation of the 2004-05 annual Budget proposals to February from the normal March schedule to keep the party in preparedness to face the possible Assembly elections along with Lok Sabha polls.

Sources said Krishna would present a "full Budget" tomorrow, but seek a vote-on-account for four months.

Krishna has already declared he would not opt for an interim Budget as was done by the Union Government and would present a full fledged Budget, but has remained non-committal on advancing Assembly polls contrary to the open statements by KPCC (Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee) president B Janardhana Poojary on holding simultaneous polls.

Asked by reporters in Gulbarga yesterday (Feb 3) if presentation of a full-fledged Budget would mean that the Assembly polls would be held as per schedule in September, he said, "It does not mean anything. But I am not afraid of making a full financial statement (by presenting a full Budget)". Seeking vote-on-account was only a customary practice, he had said.

Meanwhile, Krishna has postponed the Cabinet meeting scheduled for today to tomorrow.