Karnataka will go to polls within the next six months with the Centre on Tuesday deciding to seek dissolution of the state Assembly in the current Winter Session of Parliament.

The decision to dissolve the state Assembly was taken by the Union Cabinet which met on Tuesday morning to approve the recommendation of President?s rule in Karnataka for the second time in a little over a month. President Pratibha Patil completed the formality of signing the proclamation on Tuesday evening.

The imposition of President?s rule will now be reported to Parliament on Wednesday, following which the government will move to dissolve the state Assembly, government managers said.

The BJP has called for early elections in the state, though political circles feel that the state may not have an early poll, given that the Election Commission will be pre-occupied with the Gujarat and Himachal elections till December.

The decision came after the JD(S) withdrew support to chief minister BS Yeddyurappa just eight days after backing him, abruptly ending the BJP?s dream to gain power in the South. It also brings down the curtain on the political drama that has prevailed in the last two months in Karnataka leading to imposition of President?s rule twice during this period. Karnataka was under Central rule for 34 days from October 9 to November 12 after the fall of the JDS-BJP coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy and the state Assembly was kept under suspended animation.

?The report of the governor has been approved by the Cabinet and a recommendation has gone to the President for immediate imposition of President?s Rule in Karnataka,? information and broadcasting minister PR Dasmunsi said. He said the government would seek the approval of Parliament at the ?earliest opportunity.? ?We are coming back to Parliament both for approval of President?s Rule and dissolution of the House,? he said.

The fresh crisis was triggered by BJP?s refusal to accept JD(S)? latest demands to sign a new power-sharing deal allotting plum ministerial portfolios to it. After JD(S) refused to vote for BJP, Yeddyurappa announced his decision to quit in the House on Monday and submitted his resignation to the governor, who then recommended imposition of President?s Rule in the state.

The Cabinet meeting took place early Tuesday morning as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had to leave for Singapore to attend the East Asian and Asean Summits there.