MYSORE: The former Union Minister V. Srinivas Prasad met the former Deputy Chief Minister and AIPJD leader Siddaramaiah in Mysore on Sunday.

Mr. Prasad, who arrived at a hotel in the morning to participate in a felicitation function for poet N. Venkoba Rao, was ushered into the hotel room where Mr. Siddaramaiah was put up. The two leaders spent a couple of minutes together along with their aides.

The meeting of the two leaders at a time when the coalition Government in the State is on the brink of a collapse triggered speculation in political circles, but Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Prasad chose to describe the visit as a "courtesy call."

Both the leaders expressed their anguish over the political developments in the State and described them as "disgusting" and "sickening."

Mr. Siddaramaiah, who later spoke to presspersons, accused the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda of masterminding a split in the Janata Dal (S) with the sole purpose of making his son H.D. Kumaraswamy the Chief Minister.

Aim

"His only ambition in life is to see his son become the Chief Minister." So, he "produced, directed and distributed" the political episode, which had brought the Dharam Singh-led coalition Government to the brink of collapse, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Claiming that Mr. Kumaraswamy was only a puppet in the hands of Mr. Deve Gowda, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Mr. Kumaraswamy was only an actor in the episode scripted entirely by his father.

The former Deputy Chief Minister wondered how the Janata Dal (S) could align with the BJP for the sake of power, particularly after terming the party as "communal" all these years.

The voters would reject such an "unholy and unethical" alliance, he pointed out.

Mr. Siddaramaiah even sought to recall Mr. Deve Gowda's recent projection of veteran Lingayat leader M. Rajashekar Murthy as the party's chief ministerial candidate. "Mr. Deve Gowda has dropped him like a hot potato in favour of his son," the former Deputy Chief Minister said.

Asked whether he would make efforts to prop up the beleaguered Dharam Singh Government, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he would do whatever possible to defeat the political machinations of the Janata Dal (S). "Right now, there is little one can do", he said adding that Mr. Dharam Singh should muster the numbers and face the trial of strength scheduled for January 27.

The former Deputy Chief Minister predicted the early collapse of even the alternative Janata Dal (S)-BJP alliance.

"It may not last for more than six months to one year and elections are inevitable. There will be no stability to the Government," he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said AHINDA conventions would be resumed later this month, and efforts would be made to create an ideological awareness about the rights of the backward classes, minorities and Dalits by holding meetings at the taluk level.

AIPJD-Congress meet

The local leadership of the Congress and AIPJD will meet here on January 25 to hold discussions on an alliance in the hung Mysore Zilla Panchayat and various taluk panchayats of the district.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Congress high command had permitted the local leadership of the Congress to decide on an alliance with like-minded parties in the hung local bodies.

In this context, leaders of the AIPJD and Congress would meet on January 25 to finalise an alliance for not only the Mysore Zilla Panchayat, but also four of the seven taluk panchayats in the district, where no single party had secured a majority.

The elections to the Mysore Zilla Panchayat threw up a mixed verdict with the Congress bagging 18 seats, followed by the AIPJD with 15. The Janata Dal (S), which held the reins of power in the previous House, had to be content with 11 seats.

With no single party securing a majority in the zilla panchayat, the Congress and AIPJD are likely to come together to capture power in the Mysore Zilla Panchayat.

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