While Patel has been maintaining that he would get Deve Gowda's stamp of approval to the list of legislators to be inducted into the ministry, Gowda has gone on record about his disinclination to get involved in the exercise.

Actually Patel is reluctant to disturb the balance of power in his team since he is not sure about the fallout a reshuffle may bring about. Deve Gowda wants a stronger presence in the ministerial set up which is unlikely to happen.

The problem really is that neither Patel nor anybody in his inner circle has the political will to go in for a reshuffle at this point. As far as Deve Gowda is concerned, he is feeling insecure in the present situation in the party. ``He is more interested in creating confusion in the party rather than setting things right. He wants to remain relevant during the coming Assembly elections'', charged a senior party leader. His contradictory statements on party matters and his projecting deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister give credence to the charge.

Senior leaders in the JD hold both Gowda and Patel responsible for the present sorry state of affairs in the party. ``What prevents Patel from going ahead with his routine exercise if Deve Gowda does not want to have a say?'' ask many legislators. They also blame Deve Gowda for his behind-the-scene activities with the sole aim of keeping himself in currency.

Sources close to Patel said that the Chief Minister made three attempts in the last six months to get Deve Gowda's consent to the exercise but every time the latter avoided him and the reshuffle had to be postponed.

Many Vokkalinga ministers, who have identified themselves with Patel, blame Deve Gowda for the poor representation of their community in the Patel ministry.

Siddaramaiah seems to be satisfied with the representation of his Kuruba community in the Government. And with good reason: Of the five MLAs from the community, four are ministers and one is the chairman of Food and Civil Supplies.

Of the 38 Lingayat MLAs, 15 are ministers and seven chairmen of various boards. The deputy speaker and the chief whip in the Council also are Lingayats. Patel has looked after his community well.

By contrast, only eight of the 32 MLCs from the Vokalliga community are ministers and four are chairmen of boards. Seven of the 26 Scheduled Caste MLAs are ministers though there in no one in the cabinet from the Hyderabad--Karnataka region.

A couple of senior Vokkaliga ministers in the Patel cabinet admit that Deve Gowda ``wants all his cronies in the ministry and Patel refuses to give him a free hand.''