Declaring firmly that there was no question of going back on his decision to pull out of the Congress-led coalition government in Karnataka and form another with the Bharatiya Janata Party support, rebel Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy virtually dashed Chief Minister N Dharam Singh's hopes of winning a trust vote on Janaury 27.
"There is no question of going back on my decision to withdraw support to Dharam Singh government and install a JD-S government with BJP support," Kumaraswamy told PTI.
Kumaraswamy, son of JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda, dismissed Singh's claims that the Congress has not "insulted and ill-treated" JD-S legislators and its party workers.
"Let the chief minister order for a survey how the police conducted themselves and manhandled JD-S workers in Kolar district," was his poser to Singh.
"When people who voted for JD-S were attacked in Kolar what action was taken against the culprits," Kumaraswamy, the man behind the coup that has brought the coalition government to the brink of collapse, wanted to know from the chief minister.
With this stand, Kumaraswamy has also sent signals to his father, Gowda, that he will not change his mind and shelve plans to form a government with the BJP.
When asked to react to Singh's statement he has an "option to exit" before January 27, the day he would seek a trust vote, Kumaraswamy said "it is left for the Congress to decide."
Meanwhile, JD-S supremo Deve Gowda held consultations with senior party leaders to find a solution to the "revolt".
Deputy Chief Minister M P Prakash, Finance Minister P G R Sindhia, senior leader M Rajashekhara Murthy and Higher Education Minister D Manjunath attended the two-hour-long session which remained inconclusive and could not arrive at a decision.
After the meeting, Prakash told reporters the leaders debated on three options -- whether to continue with the Congres-led coalition, opt for a parallel government formation or face a mid-term election.
Sindhia, however, said the party was firm on not aligning with the BJP.
In a change of stand by the party, Sindhia said JD-S did not contemplate any disciplinary action against Kumaraswamy.
"At this stage, actions of Kumaraswamy cannot be viewed as indiscipline. He has kept the MLAs to save the party and prevent horse-trading by the Congress," he said.