Former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda on Friday said that mid-term polls will be held in Karnataka.

“There is no doubt that there will be mid-term polls. They (Congress) said they will support us for five years but look at their behaviour now... Our people are smart,” Gowda said.

He, however, later clarified that he was talking about the local body elections and not Assembly polls.

"I said it for local body elections and not Assembly elections. I'm here to build my party as HD Kumaraswamy had mentioned, the government will continue for the next four years. There is an understanding signed between JD(S) and Congress," he added.

Gowda’s remark comes amid reports of a rift between the Congress-JD(S) ruling coalition government in Karnataka.

Earlier this month, a video had gone viral on the social media showing Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy purportedly asking JD(S) workers to brace themselves for the Assembly elections.

In the video, Nikhil was heard telling his party workers that the elections may happen anytime, be it in 2020 or after two or three years.

"We need to start now only. We should not say we will do it later. We have to prepare from the next month onwards. We do not know when it (election) comes, next year, after two years or three years. JD(S) leaders should be ready," said Nikhil in the video.

He, however, mentioned that there was no threat to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

"There is no problem with the government. It will complete (its tenure). You get tensed due to reports in media. It is not like that. We know what is there inside (the government). Kumaranna (HD Kumaraswamy) will run (the government) for the next four years too," he said.

The tension between the Congress and JD(S) flared up after the Lok Sabha elections in which they won just two out of 28 parliamentary seats in Karnataka, while the BJP bagged 25.