05-27-2008, 05:52 AM
<!--emo&:thumbdown--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' /><!--endemo--> A Jarring note:
Gowda tries to woo Cong into alliance in Karnataka
27 May 2008, 0327 hrs IST,Subodh Ghildiyal,TNN
NEW DELHI: Reduced to half its strength and fearing a split in the party, a desperate Janata Dal (Secular) on Monday made a determined bid to rope in Congress for a coalition government in Karnataka.
Top Congress leaders, it is learnt, received several telephone calls and feelers round the day from former PM H D Deve Gowda, his son and messengers, as the latter tried to drive home that their political arrangement, along with three victorious Congress rebels, would effectively end BJP's hopes of forming a government in the state.
However, the move was rebuffed by Congress even though there was eagerness at local level to give the proposal a shot.
BJP has 110 seats, Congress 80, JD(S) 28 while six independents round off the tally in the assembly. Gowda is apprehensive that a comfortably-placed BJP, three short of majority mark, would manage to rope in "unemployed" independents if the Congress did not bid for power.
Once B S Yeddyurappa proves his majority, there are bound to be rumblings in JD(S) with its MLAs and BJP mutually eager to strike a quid pro quo deal. While the CM would be keen to bolster his numbers beyond the bare-majority mark, JD(S) MLAs would be vulnerable to baits of ministerial posts, fully aware that the single-party government was in for a full tenure.
To Gowda's woes, a split in a small contingent of 28 MLAs would not be difficult under the new anti-defection provisions.
The former prime minister â in the unenvious position as villain for both the political rivals Congress and BJP with whom he joined hands after 2004 polls â was driven enough to even propose names of Congress MLAs for the chief minister's post.
It is reliably learnt that Gowda forwarded the name of Dalit MLA and newly inducted CWC member G Parameshwara for the top job. His favourite Dharam Singh and a couple of others have already lost.
However, Congress is learnt to have conveyed that it was against subverting the unambiguous mandate in favour of saffron outfit. A decision against any misadventure was taken on Sunday itself when, after a review meeting, it was decided that the party would elect its CLP leader on May 28 in Bangalore in a huddle to be attended by central observers.
Gowda's late charge to salvage the situation in his favour is driven by the results. His party has been reduced to 28 MLAs against 58 in the last polls which made him an indispensable piece in the state jigsaw, enabling him to dictate to Congress to appoint a pliable chief minister of his choice while also cornering plum portfolios.
He later switched sides, with his son H D Kumaraswamy taking over the top post in a rotational-CM arrangement with BJP.
The acrimonious relationship between the two ended when the 'humble farmer' pulled out the "secular" card from his hat to refuse transfer of power to the saffron outfit.
Gowda tries to woo Cong into alliance in Karnataka
27 May 2008, 0327 hrs IST,Subodh Ghildiyal,TNN
NEW DELHI: Reduced to half its strength and fearing a split in the party, a desperate Janata Dal (Secular) on Monday made a determined bid to rope in Congress for a coalition government in Karnataka.
Top Congress leaders, it is learnt, received several telephone calls and feelers round the day from former PM H D Deve Gowda, his son and messengers, as the latter tried to drive home that their political arrangement, along with three victorious Congress rebels, would effectively end BJP's hopes of forming a government in the state.
However, the move was rebuffed by Congress even though there was eagerness at local level to give the proposal a shot.
BJP has 110 seats, Congress 80, JD(S) 28 while six independents round off the tally in the assembly. Gowda is apprehensive that a comfortably-placed BJP, three short of majority mark, would manage to rope in "unemployed" independents if the Congress did not bid for power.
Once B S Yeddyurappa proves his majority, there are bound to be rumblings in JD(S) with its MLAs and BJP mutually eager to strike a quid pro quo deal. While the CM would be keen to bolster his numbers beyond the bare-majority mark, JD(S) MLAs would be vulnerable to baits of ministerial posts, fully aware that the single-party government was in for a full tenure.
To Gowda's woes, a split in a small contingent of 28 MLAs would not be difficult under the new anti-defection provisions.
The former prime minister â in the unenvious position as villain for both the political rivals Congress and BJP with whom he joined hands after 2004 polls â was driven enough to even propose names of Congress MLAs for the chief minister's post.
It is reliably learnt that Gowda forwarded the name of Dalit MLA and newly inducted CWC member G Parameshwara for the top job. His favourite Dharam Singh and a couple of others have already lost.
However, Congress is learnt to have conveyed that it was against subverting the unambiguous mandate in favour of saffron outfit. A decision against any misadventure was taken on Sunday itself when, after a review meeting, it was decided that the party would elect its CLP leader on May 28 in Bangalore in a huddle to be attended by central observers.
Gowda's late charge to salvage the situation in his favour is driven by the results. His party has been reduced to 28 MLAs against 58 in the last polls which made him an indispensable piece in the state jigsaw, enabling him to dictate to Congress to appoint a pliable chief minister of his choice while also cornering plum portfolios.
He later switched sides, with his son H D Kumaraswamy taking over the top post in a rotational-CM arrangement with BJP.
The acrimonious relationship between the two ended when the 'humble farmer' pulled out the "secular" card from his hat to refuse transfer of power to the saffron outfit.