Bangalore: Karnataka Assembly was dissolved by Governor T N Chaturvedi this morning (Feb23, 2004) following the recommendation of the State council of Ministers last week, official sources said.

After prolonged deliberations within the Congress, Chief Minister S M Krishna had recommended dissolution of the State Assembly to the Governor after a council of Ministers meeting on February 16.

The dissolution, coming eight months ahead of the expiry of the term of the 11th Assembly, paves way for simultaneous State polls with the Lok Sabha elections.

Krishna admitted that the decision to seek early polls was prompted by the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) Government's move to advance Lok Sabha polls but had also maintained that it was the confidence of his party to return to power that made them to plump for simultaneous elections.

The present Assembly is the fifth one to have a premature end in the State's legislature history.