Thursday, June 23 2005 19:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Seeking to set at rest speculations that were doing rounds over the "fate" of his coalition Government Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh today (Jun 23, 2005) said the Congress has no plans to call off its pact with JDS (Janata Dal Secular) and face elections along with Bihar assembly polls.

"The issue of severing coalition arrangement with JDS and going to snap polls for assembly is not before the Congress. The coalition Government will continue and complete its full term of five years", Singh told a press conference on his successful trip to Delhi where he held parleys with Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and other leaders.

Pouring cold water on those, particularly a section of Congress leaders who have been complaining to Congress High Command that the image of the party has nose-dived after it joined hands with JDS to form the Government, Singh posed a question to them, "What is the problem with the Government?

He further claimed that the Congress High Command has not attached any credence to such complaints and asserted his talks with Sonia Gandhi has infused "political stability" in the State.

Describing his 15-minute talks with Gandhi in the presence of her political secretary Ahmed Patel and A K Antony in-charge of Karnataka affairs yesterday (Jun 22, 2005) as "cordial and successful", he said he got the nod to expand his ministry by filling up two ministerial berths under the Congress quota.

Without setting anytime frame, he said, he would induct two ministers "any time from now".