Bangalore, June 27: A day after hinting at a tie-up with former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde in the next assembly elections in Karnataka, newly appointed state BJP chief Ananth Kumar today refused to commit himself on the issue, saying alliances would be thought of only when the polls were near. Asked by reporters if the BJP would align with Hegde, Kumar said the party president m Venkaiah Naidu has given "guidance" that the main aim should be to strengthen the party in a big way in the next one year.
"On the alliance, we can think of it when elections are close. Elections in Karnataka are one-and-half-years away. Our only aim in the next one year is to strengthen the party in Karnataka," he said. Kumar reiterated that he won't resign as Union urban development minister till Prime Minister A B Vajpayee desired so.
On his task in Karnataka, Kumar said strong efforts would be made to see that the BJP emerged as the only clearcut alternative party to the Congress. Stating that party leaders would tour nook and corner of the state, he said, "We want to channelise the apathy and misrule of the Congress regime and disenchantment and disunity in Janata Dal."
He rejected talks of dissidence in the party's state unit, asserting that BJP is united. The party has grown from strength to strength in the state. From just one MLA in 1987, BJP today is the main opposition party in the legislative assembly and council. Its vote-share has gone up from 2.6 per cent in 1987 to 34 per cent, Kumar said. Bureau Report