Gowda Sr may quit as JD(S) head

Bangalore: Janata Dal (Secular) chief H D Deve Gowda is currently meeting with party leaders to discuss the proposed alliance with the BJP.

Deve Gowda had written to the party MLAs, sharing with them, his view on the alliance as his son, H D Kumaraswamy has stressed again that he is going with the BJP in Karnataka.

The former prime minister had made it clear to his MLAs that he is not in favour of Kumaraswamy going with the BJP.

He has given JD(S) MLAs three hours to take a final decision. If there is no solution at the end of the meeting, the JD(S) may well split.

Earlier in the day, the MLAs who had defected over to Kumaraswamy and who were staying at a resort outside Bangalore came to the city to meet with Deve Gowda.

Kumaraswamy also met his father and family members. He left the venue looking rather serious and refused to divulge the details of the meeting.

It now seems clear that Kumaraswamy and the BJP may well form the government in Karnataka now since Kumaraswamy has asserted time and again that he is going to go ahead with the alliance with the BJP.

Whether there is a final twist to the Karnataka political crisis can be answered only by Deve Gowda in the press conference that he is holding at the Parag Hotel in Bangalore.

He is expected to spell out his intentions for himself as well as his party.

Sources have told CNN-IBN that Deve Gowda may openly express his disappointment over Kumaraswamy joining his hands with the BJP.

He may even resign as the JD(S) National President. A final decision is expected after 8 PM on Thursday.

Meanwhile, BJP leader, Venkaiah Naidu, who is in Bangalore said that the tie-up with Kumaraswamy will not result in a compromise on political ideology.

"No political party will leave it's ideology and go with another party. But when a coalition government is formed, one has to evolve a common programme keeping in mind, the larger interests of the state and its people," said Naidu.

AICC Karnataka in-charge, A K Antony says, "The Congress party will try and make as much effort as possible to save the coalition government of Karnataka." A K Antony is also in Bangalore meeting with Chief Minister Dharam Singh, KPCC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leaders.

However, it now seems that the end of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government is inevitable in Karnataka.

Experts are speculating that the Congress is likely to wait till January 27 for the test of strength of the Dharam Singh government. The party is hoping that Dharam Singh may be voted out so that they gain some sympathy vote.