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The Yadav and the Gowda may well bury JD

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The end of Janata Dal?

That's not too distant a possibility, as the factions headed by Sharad Yadav and H D Deve Gowda appear set on a mutually destructive course.

Even as Yadav expressed optimism that he would be able to persuade the rival faction to support Atal Bihari Vajpayee as prime minister, Professor Madhu Dandavate of the other camp lashed out on Thursday:

"These people, by supporting the National Democratic Alliance have shown their true colours. They have joined hands with communal forces to which we can never reconcile."

Prof Dandavate was stridently supported by Deve Gowda man Bapu Kaldate: "If we make peace with communal forces in the NDA, we would be betraying the trust of secular forces. I think Sharadji and all those who have decided to support the NDA have to give many answers to the electorate."

But with both factions adamant on pursuing their respective strategies, the battle lines are drawn. It has increasingly become clear that the Deve Gowda faction will not do what Sharad Yadav has done -- join hands with the NDA, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Janata Dal split also witnessed Karnataka chief minister and senior party leader J H Patel throwing in his lot with Yadav, a course which could well threaten the Patel ministry. Already, Deve Gowda has indicated that the split would throw Patel's government into dire straits, as his MLAs would withdraw support, and that he expected President's rule in Karnataka soon.

That he has no intention of backing down became apparent after Yadav stated that he would soon be revamping the party's national executive. He made the statement when it was pointed out that Deve Gowda and his followers are likely to defy his suggestion to support the NDA. The threat obviously means that he would be cramming it with his own supporters, ignoring those belonging to the Deve Gowda faction.

Which is why Deve Gowda indicated that if the situation worsens his faction would not let the Patel ministry survive.

Ironically, the split in the Janata Dal and the likelihood of the ministry being pulled down would result in Muslim votes going to the Congress. Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes claimed that as his party was the only one which questioned the BJP on the Kargil issue, the Muslims would vote overwhelmingly for it.

But if Deve Gowda holds sway in Karnataka, the Sharad Yadav faction seems dominant in Bihar. Yadav told rediff.com that his group was likely to contest four parliamentary seats in Bihar: Madhepura (from where he lost the 12th Lok Sabha election), Hajipur (from where Ram Vilas Paswan won last time), Sitamarhi and Jhanjharpur.

Yadav was confident of winning the Madhepura seat this time -- the Samata Party, he pointed out, had merged with the JD and its votes would come his way. Also, he added that Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, who had defeated him last year, would not be contesting from Madhepura this time round.

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