BANGALORE, May 2: Dissidents in Karnataka Janata Dal (JD) found a reason to revive their activity against Chief Minister J H Patel - the recent debacle of JD and success of Congress in the APMC elections all over the state.

A dozen legislators including a member of the Legislative Council (MLC) and a party MP H D Kumaraswamy met at the residence of former minister Vyjanath Patil today to demand a special Janata Dal Legislative Party meeting to find the reasons for the debacle of the party in recent Agriculture Produce Marketing Corporation, where a large number of farmers are involved. Eight more legislators who were unable to attend the meeting telephoned their colleagues in the dissident camp that they were supporting whatever decision taken at the meeting.

A spokesman for the meeting said that one legislator reminded that former Prime Minister's son and party MP Kumaraswamy was given the `power of attorney' to sort out any problem of the dissidents with the CM and requested him to attend the meeting.

Kumaraswamy attended the two-and-half hour meeting, heard the woes of the dissidents and said that he would bring the issue to the notice of his father, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.

The spokesman said that image of the ruling party was at stake as Congress was establishing firmly at the grass-roots level, replacing JD. ``At this rate, if the image of the party is allowed to continue for next four years with Patel at the helm of affairs, Congress need not have to campaign in the next election. JD will crumble on its own'', said the spokesman for the meeting.

The meeting also reminded Kumaraswamy about the ``power of attorney' given by Patel a few months ago to bring to the notice of the problems of dissidents in the party and said that if he and his father cannot sort out the problems, it was time for them to join the dissidents and strengthen them, ``as we know how to handle Patel''.

The meeting also discussed the imbalance in the recent appointments of chairmen for boards and corporations where some regions have been over represented, according to them.

Those who attended the meting include Vyjanath Patil, A B Patil, D Manjunath, B R Yavagal, Nabi, Gurunath, P C Siddannagouder, Ravikanth Patil, Basavaraj Patil Attoor, Nagarajayya, H D Kumaraswamy and MLC Ugrappa.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.