The meeting was held to finalise the party nominees for the Council elections and to discuss the vexed issues that have dogged the party for a long time.

If the speaker thought that the meeting was an in camera one where the media and the photographers were not allowed, he was in for a surprise. In fact former Prime Minister Deve Gowda was apparently disturbed as photographers began to click them when they arrived for the meeting at the Guest House.In fact Deve Gowda was heard telling Ramesh Kumar that since the photographers were here, hence should come later. Party president B L Shankar openly directed, in fact, cautioned Ramesh Kumar, that he should not be seen with the partyleaders. Ramesh Kumar, who accompanied Deve Gowda to the meeting, beat a hasty retreat.

A senior minister said that later Ramesh Kumar was present in the meeting throughout though he did not speak much. Shankar later officially denied that Ramesh Kumar attended the meeting and said that he had come to meet some leaders.

Ramesh Kumar himself later told a few newsmen that he did not attend the meeting but did not give the reason for his presence in the premises where the party meeting was being held.

A senior minister said that Speaker's presence was an embarrassment to the leaders present. ``Everyone knows that he is a Deve Gowda loyalist and Deve Gowda might have brought him along to the meeting to prove a point.''