Karnataka polls: Will it be in May or November?

Karnataka has been facing political uncertainty for months. Adding to the uncertainty is the confusion over the dates of elections to the state assembly.

While an Election Commission team is planning to visit Bengaluru on March 4 to assess whether polls could be held before May 28, Congress leaders in the state are dashing to New Delhi to do everything under the sun to get the elections postponed to as late as November.

The EC decision to consider holding polls before May 28 comes in the wake of the central government clearing the delimitation report, which was subsequently approved by the President.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party welcomes the decision, the Congress feels the state is not yet ready for elections. It feels that early polls may only benefit the BJP, as it continues to ride high on the sympathy wave it garnered following the betrayal by coalition partner Janata Dal-Secular.

The BJP, however, feels that the Congress is not ready for the game as yet.

BJP leaders claim that there are leadership issues in the Congress and that the party does not have a clear cut agenda to face the elections.

Meanwhile, Karnataka is completing six months under President's rule.

In normal circumstances, elections should be held within the completion of six months, but there is a provision in the Constitution to extend it further.

Congress leaders in New Delhi will try and convince the party high command to postpone the elections. However, the party high command is said to be toying with the idea of going in for an early election.