A meeting between Janata Dal-Secular chief H D Deve Gowda and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yeshwant Sinha remained inconclusive with both leaders deciding to get back to each other after holding talks with their respective parties regarding the transfer of power in Karnataka.
According to a pact, the Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has to hand over the reigns of the state to the BJP on October 3.
However, sources close to both the leaders said that Gowda stuck to his guns on the transfer of power and even asked the BJP to maintain status quo.
Gowda reportedly said at the meeting that it would be in the best interest of both the parties to continue with the same formula. He even indicated that if power is transferred then there was every chance of Karnataka going in for mid term polls in November.
Gowda, however, is said to have assured Sinha that the JD-S will not align itself with the Congress if the BJP permitted the existing combination to continue.
Sources said that even if Kumaraswamy resigned as the CM on October 3, the Janata Dal Legislative Party would reject the resignation and ensure that he continued as CM.
Gowda also said that the time is not right for transfer of power as the period is an inauspicious one.
The period till October 10 is known as pitrupaksha or shrad and is considered to be a bad period to undertake any sort of important work.
Gowda was also beaming with confidence with the results of the local body polls in which the JD-S has got a huge majority.
Out of the results announced to the 4200 wards, the JD-S bagged 1400 seats while the Congress got 1300.
The BJP came third with 1000 seats. What is important is that the JD-S managed to make inroads into the BJPs stronghold -- the urban areas. Gowda also pointed out during the meeting about the poll results and said that the swing was clearly in their favour at the moment.
Gowda also showed his discontent on the manner in which the BJP had handled its leaders in Bellary.
First it was BJP MLA, Janardhan Reddy who made corruption charges against Kumaraswamy and then it was Tourism Minister Sriramulu alleging that the CM had tried to kill him. Gowda said that since day one the BJP had not acted against the two of them.
The BJP however said that it would have to consult its party members on the next course of action. A meeting of the BJP is scheduled for Monday morning. However sources in the BJP said that a faction is interested in continuing with the same formula. The others however feel that a mid term poll would be the best solution as if they agreed to the demands by the JD(S), then the image of the party would suffer on the national level.