Monday, December 12 2005 17:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mangalore: Samajvadi Party Karnataka unit President S Bangarappa today (Dec 12, 2005) claimed that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in state would fall soon after the local bodies elections this month.

"I am expecting the collapse of the Congress -JD(S) coalition government in the state soon after the Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections because of internal squabbles between the two parties", he told reporters here.

Bangarappa, a former chief minister and MP, said the state might go to Assembly polls during April next since squabbles between both the coalition partners had aggravated.

As the tenures of governments of the neighbouring Kerala and Tamil Nadu and West Bengal would come to an end during March, the state might also go to elections along with the these three states during April, he added.

He also predicted that the Congress would be routed in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Asked whether the state Panchayat elections were a referendum on the coalition government, he replied that to some extent it is, as far as the public opinion is concerned.