GANDHINAGAR, November 12: With the entire cabinet, barring the Chief Minister Dilip Parikh remaining elusive for the second day and the Bharatiya Janata Party keeping its hope alive of betrayals in the rival camps, heavily insulated State Legislative Assembly will meet on Thursday to decide the fate of Rashtriya Janata Party Government amidst fear of violence.

Meanwhile, the fluid political situation moved towards the formation of RJP-Congress coalition government on Wednesday, when a majority of the 44 member Congress Legislative Party (CLP) asked its leaders to convey to the party high command their `inclination to join the RJP government'. It was discussed in the CLP meeting held this afternoon.

While, the challenger BJP, in a virtual climbdown from the hype created by it of so called imminent split in the RJP and its ally, the Congress, are pinning their hopes on cross voting in the house by some disgruntled members in the either party, which appears a remote possibility. If at all there was any plan to repeat an Uttar Pradesh in Gujarat, it became impossible by RJP master's grand operation to do a vanishing trick on them on Tuesday.

The quarantined legislators are likely to return either late tonight or a few hours before the discussion on the trust vote.

Though the BJP is still keeping its strategy for tomorrow a secret, sources inform that after their failure in engineering defection in the ruling arrangement, it is ``expecting cross voting'' by frustrated RJP legislators who have been denied of berths in the ministry.

The party's national vice-president and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel is maintaining that Parikh will fail to win the trust vote because of the `raging discontent in the RJP.'

This argument is further strengthened by former Revenue Minister Ashok Bhatt's `reliable information' that atleast 11 legislators, five belonging to RJP and six independents, are keeping themselves away from the `insulated flock.' ``If there no fear of defection or split, why did Vaghela and Parikh have to pack up his flock and hide them away ,'' argues Bhatt.

The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President CD Patel and RJP supremo ridiculed the claim of BJP and said that there were no differences among party MLAs and all of them would extend full support to the Parikh Government. ``The BJP was daydreaming. It must realise now that their chance of holding power in Gujarat is over,'' quipped Vaghela.

The Congress has made a timely chastening of Janata Dal (G) faction leader Chhabildas Mehta who was allegedly hobnobbing with the BJP. After which Mehta changed his stand and started pressing for party's participation in the RJP government.

BJP veterans in the state also point out that a strain in the RJP-Congress still persists as the latter is yet to withdraw the letter to the Governor which is virtually a chargesheet against Vaghela. ``Why worry about us, we can manage our problems without their blessings,'' commented Vaghela.

Some leaders, however, believe that the contentious issue of seven legislators might be used as a weapon to create problem, leading to chaotic situation in the house. These legislators claim that they are part of the BJP while the RJP claims that they had put their signatures on the memorandum submitted to the Governor last year which led to the fall of Suresh Mehta government.

Speaker has,however ruled that these seven MLAs are not bound by the whips of either parties and can vote for or against the motion of confidence. These seven legislators will be meeting sometime this evening to chalk out their plan of action for Thursday's special session.

Meanwhile, Speaker Ghumansinh Vaghela is leaving no stone unturned to ensure peaceful transaction of business in the House with unprecedented security arrangement in and around the precincts of the Assembly. Former Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela is insisting on video recording of house proceedings in case some members try any mischief.

All three political parties; the RJP, Congress and the BJP have issued whips to ensure presence of their members in the House on Thursday.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.