Bangalore: A last-ditch effort to save the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) Government in Karnataka will possibly come on January 25, when Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, are scheduled to meet in New Delhi. This was revealed here on Sunday by a Janata Dal (Secular) spokesman.

The visit of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to the State on Sunday seemed to have put on hold the efforts to save or destabilise the coalition Government. But the crisis that has overtaken the Government cast its spell on the visit and it was uppermost in the minds of at least some of the dramatis personae. While returning here on Sunday evening from Shravanabelagola, where the Mahamastakabhisheka celebrations were declared open by the President, Mr. Gowda, Chief Minister Dharam Singh and Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash are reported to have discussed the issues that led to the crisis.

Denial

A news agency report on Sunday that quoted reports in a section of the press that Mr. Gowda had written to Ms. Gandhi on January 19 setting out nine conditions before the Congress if it wanted the save the Government, was refuted on his behalf. State JD(S) spokesman and party general secretary Y.S.V. Datta termed the report "baseless and nonsensical." "Mr. Gowda has not spoken to Ms. Gandhi even on the telephone since the crisis broke, much less writing to her," he said. "However he is ready to meet Ms. Gandhi and discuss matters."

Blame

According to informed sources, Mr. Gowda has let the Chief Minister know that the Congress cannot blame his party for the crisis. It should realise that all along it had indulged in verbal attacks on him and tried to humiliate him.

That was what forced many of his party MLAs to grow tired of the Congress and seek to join hands with the BJP, it was pointed out.

Congress sources say the Chief Minister is nursing hopes of Mr. Gowda being able to save the Government by bringing his son H.D. Kumaraswamy round to his point of view to continue the alliance with the Congress.

The question whether the Chief Minister will throw in the towel and resign before January 27, the date fixed by Governor T.N. Chaturvedi for the confidence vote in the Assembly is still a moot one.

He will take the vote and come out triumphant, says a section of the local press towing the Dharam Singh line.

Assertion

But it remains to be seen whether Mr. Gowda will be able to persuade the rebels to "return home." In Goa, Mr. Kumaraswamy said on Sunday he would not meet his father before January 27.

He stated that the MLAs supporting him had told him not to take the risk as he might face emotional pressure. He again accused the Congress of humiliating his party and his father.

The Congress tried to dig at the roots of the JD(S), he said. This is possibly an indirect way of saying that it tried to wean away its MLAs and erode its support base.

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