Saturday, March 25 2006 16:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu today (Mar 25, 2006) called upon his partymen to gear up for mid-term polls to Lok Sabha as the "Congress led UPA Government would collapse after the coming assembly elections in five states".

"The days of UPA Governemnt are being counted and it will fall after the assembly elections in five states", Naidu claimed while addressing party workers here at a rally to mark the assuming of office by newly appointed Karnataka unit president D V Sadananda Gouda.

The party appointed its Mangalore Lok Sabha MP, Gouda to head the state unit replacing Jagadish Shettar, who has joined the BJP-JDS coalition ministry in the state.

Naidu exhorted partymen to maintain discipline and follow the party's constitution strictly.

He termed Congress president Sonia Gandhi's resignation from her Lok Sabha seat and National Advisory Council as a 'big drama', saying "She quit fearing disqualification".

BJP National General Secretary T Ghelot, incharge of party affairs in Karnataka hailed the budget presented by the BJP-JDS government in the state.

Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who presented the budget, said he would soon lead a delegation to Gujarat to study power sector reforms in that state which has ensured 18-hour power supply in rural areas.

The new state unit president, Gouda, assured that he would work towards strengthening the party at grassroot level, taking workers into confidence.