Needled by Gowda, Jalappa may quit JD

BANGALORE, Jan 2: Union Textiles Minister R L Jalappa today indicated that he may quit the Janata Dal, after the party’s efforts for a patch-up between him and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda here today, seemed to have failed.

Jalappa, admitted as much to media persons soon after the party meeting called by Chief Minister J H Patel failed to achieve any sort of an understanding between the two senior leaders. “Yes, I am” he said when asked whether he was leaving the party. But a final decision would only be taken after consulting the people of his constituency, he added. To another question, he said he might not even contest the Lok Sabha poll and was considering retiring from politics after consulting the people of his constituency.

Jalappa, had earlier walked out of a meeting of the State Council of ministers where Deve Gowda, Chief Minister J H Patel and two other Union Ministers Bommai and Ibrahim were present as special invitees to iron out the differences between the leaders. As he emerged from the meeting mid-way, which he stressed was not a walkout, Jalappa told reporters, “I have explained my position plainly. I may or may not be in the party.”He said he had explained the reason for the differences between him and Deve Gowda and that it was due to the humiliation he had suffered “because of the anti-party activities of Gowda and his sons”. He was referring to the activities against his candidate in the by-election in Doddaballapur which he had vacated.