Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda dropped a clear hint on Tuesday stating that he would not support the Congress during the crucial trust vote on July 22 at New Delhi.
In a statement, Gowda who is also the supremo of the Janata Dal-Secular with three MPs, said that both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party had spared no efforts to humiliate him and his party.
Lashing out at the BJP and the Congress, he said that both parties had tortured, criticised and humiliated his party at any given opportunity.
Accusing both the parties of playing dirty politics, he said that both the parties had made all efforts to destroy him and his party.
Lashing out at the Congress in particular, Gowda said that despite supporting the Congress in Karnataka, he and his party had been abused and unparliamentary language was used against him.
He said that he was saddened by the turn of events at the Centre and added that whatever had happened was not a good sign. Gowda also added that it was sad that a corporate head had to step in to sort out the crisis.
Gowda, however, kept his cards close to his heart and did not say in as many words whether he would support the Congress during the trust vote or not.
He said that all senior leaders of the JD-S would meet in Bengaluru on Friday to take a final decision on voting for or against the Congress.
The JD-S at present has three MPs and their vote would be crucial to the survival of the government as each vote counts.
While one JD-S MP from Kerala has made it clear that he would vote against the government, the other two including Gowda will take a final decision on Friday.
Sources in the JD-S said that Gowda had demanded that the mining industry be nationalised. He has also been weighing his options regarding the revival of a third front.
According to sources close to Gowda, he would support the Left only if he felt that there was chance of the third front being revived.