Gowda puts Cong on notice: Ties come up for review on Feb 8

Deve Gowda announced here today that his party’s national executive would meet here on February 8 to review the Congress-JD(S) ties. He hoped to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi the next day.

Besides, he made another tactical move-he called on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday night to mount pressure on the Congress to call off its attempts to take Siddaramaiah on board in local bodies and instil uncertainty over the future of the Dharam Singh government.

Although he ruled out the possibility of any alliance with the BJP, he did send a signal acorss to the Congress that if it could flirt with Siddaramaiah, he, too, could do the same with the BJP.

Deve Gowda told reporters that the review of the relationship with the Congress does not necessarily mean going with the BJP for forming a government. ‘‘It may be going back to the people,’’ he added.

Making his unhappiness with the Congress clear, he said, ‘‘There is a deviation from the understanding we had when we formed the coalition government in Karnataka.’’ Thereafter, he said: ‘‘Those people who have been expelled for indiscipline and destablising my party, when they (Congress leaders) want to have some understanding in some districts, is it not deviation?’’

He also said that he would meet Sonia Gandhi because he had told her at the outset that ‘‘if there is any strain in the relationship, I will come and report to her’’.

Dharam Singh asserted that the state was not going to polls soon. ‘‘Everything will be sorted out,’’ he said. Singh, however, made it clear that the Congress was prepared to face the elections.

The Congress has regained self-confidence after establishing its supremacy in elections to the local bodies. It is the first time that the Congress has needled the JD(S) by indicating that it may enter into local adjustments with Siddaramaiah. The Congress eyes Siddaramaiah as its future ally, capable of turning its fortunes due to his sway over the Kuruba vote.

With Deve Gowda having given the Congress a one-month notice, the party has enough time to choose between him and Siddaramaiah, and also make up its mind whether to continue with the status quo or risk going in for mid-term elections.