Gowda sending feelers to Congress?

With the Bharatiya Janata Party deciding not to settle for anything less than what was promised, Janata Dal-Secular supremo H D Deve Gowda has started sending feelers to the Congress party for the formation of the government in Karnataka.

Sources said the move comes following BJP's refusal to re-negotiate the issue pertaining to transfer of power with the JD-S.

The BJP leaders said that when the government was formed, they were promised the chief minister's post at the end of 20 months. However, the JD-S has now asked the BJP not to disturb the existing set up.

The JD-S is said to have sent feelers to the Congress after the tough stand taken by BJP leader Yeshwant Sinha.

Sinha had said that the JD-S should give them what was promised or else there was no way in which the government could continue.

Although the Congress had earlier said that it would not align with the JD-S and form the government, there seems to be a change in stand. It is learnt that the Congress high command was doing enough to ensure that the BJP did not form the government in Karnataka.

Sources said in case both the Congress and the JD-S come to an understanding, then the government could be formed. However, the Congress will be a part of the government and would give the JD-S support from outside.

Gowda is not expected to come to any conclusion immediately and would seek another round of talks with the BJP in which he would try and convince them to continue with the same combination.

Another trick up Gowda's sleeve would be ensure that BJP leader Eshwarappa becomes the chief minister. Gowda, it is learnt, would play this card to checkmate Siddaramaiah, the former JD-S leader who had defected to the Congress after a fall out with Gowda. Both Eshwarappa and Siddaramaiah belong to the Kuruba community, a backward class in Karnataka.

The BJP has, however, ruled out this option and says that only B S Yediyurappa could be the chief minister. The BJP leaders, who met on Monday night, said the party's image could take a beating if they buckled under pressure from the JD-S.

The leaders said that at present it was more important to protect the image of the party rather than cling on to power. The BJP leaders said that even if they won the next elections, they would not form a coalition government in future.