Monday, May 23 2005 10:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Shimoga: Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh yesterday (May 22, 2005) rebutted the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) allegation that Congress has entered into a tacit pact with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win the Shimoga Lok Sabha seat, which is going to polls on June 2 as "baseless and unfounded".

Advising JDS, the Congress's coalition Government partner, to apply reasoning while making such allegations, Singh said a press conference in Shimoga that there was no need for Congress to forge such pacts with BJP, which it had been fighting at the national and State levels.

Singh was apparently reacting to the recent statements made by State unit JDS working president H D Kumaraswamy, the son of former Prime Minister H D Devegowda that Congress has an understanding with BJP to win the Shimoga seat.

Singh, stressing that there was a need to review the "lakshman rekha" that the Congress and JDS drew during the recent Bidar Lok Sabha elections in the coming by-poll to Shimoga and Chamarajpet Assembly constituencies, said he would hold talks with Devegowda in this regard shortly.

Though Congress and JDS fought the Bidar by-election, the former won the seat, pushing JDS to third place. "Congress will never come to any understanding with BJP," he declared.

Exuding confidence over the Congress winning the Shimoga seat, Singh said, parties like BSP led by Mayawati, Indian Union Muslim League have expressed support to the party.