Demanding early polls in Karnataka, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday said the absence of a democratically elected government was hampering the development process.

"There is no reason for elections to be delayed in the state as the new voter list would be ready by March first week," he said.

Karnataka is under President's Rule after the collapse of the BJP-Janata Dal-Secular government.

Yeddyurappa, who met senior BJP leaders, including party president Rajnath Singh and L K Advani, said, "I have asked the party leaders to convince the Election Commission for early polls in the state".

He said the BJP was demanding early elections because development work in the state has been affected and various welfare schemes have come to a halt.

Yeddyurappa is planning to undertake a state-wide tour while the party is planning to organise protests at district headquarters to press for its demand.

On the party's strategy for elections, he said, "We will fight elections on the plank of development. Let the people compare our 20-month rule with the previous government. We want no sympathy," he said.

Yeddyurappa's eight-day-old government collapsed in November 2007 after the saffron party's ally, the JD-S dramatically decided to vote against the government after extending support to it.