January 4: The Janata Dal will launch its election 1998 campaign on January 15. Briefing media persons on Saturday after a informal meeting of party leaders including Deve Gowda, Patel and several others, the JD state unit President B L Shankar informed that all the 28 constituencies in the state would be covered by the leaders during the nine-day campaign tour.A team led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda would undertake tour of the Lok Sabha constituencies coming under the Old Mysore region, another team headed by Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel will tour the constituencies in the northern Karnataka area to campaign for the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections and also to galvanise the party machinery.
The JD Chief disclosed that the party would hold talks with the leaders of CPI, CPM, DMK and the RPI on the elections for three days starting from January eight and he informed that the Presidents of the JD district Units and legislators would be consulted on the selection of candidates on
January eight and Jan 9.
Meanwhile, he said the State Council of Ministers would hold another round of meeting on Monday to discuss the strategy for polls.
DON'T PRECIPITATE MATTERS: When the media persons asked Gowda, before the commencement of the meet at Patel's official residence `Cauvery', whether any action was being initiated against Union Textiles Minister R L Jalappa for his outburst against the party on Friday, Gowda dismissed the query saying ``don't precipitate matters''. ``We are meeting today to discuss the election strategy including whether we should go to the electorate collectively or individually'', he said.
On Ibrahim's ``unhappiness'' about the promises made to minorities not fulfilled, Gowda said ``no Government or party can claim that they have contributed more for the welfare of the minorities than what Gowda and Patel have contributed'' and he added that he would convince Ibrahim about it.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
