``Let him (Patel) call an emergency JDLP meeting on Oct 26 or 27 and prove his majority,'' Gowda, told reporters before leaving for Delhi.

Earlier in the day, in an apparent move to take the sting out of the dissidents' campaign, Patel declared that he was ready to face any challenge to his leadership either inside the legislature or outside.

``I am ready to face both the Janata Dal Legislature Party and the Assembly. I repeat again that I am not scared of any political activities and political developments in the State. I will follow all democratic norms. I will not shy away from facing them both on the floor of the House and outside the House,'' Patel said.

``When I sayoutside, it is JDLP (meeting), which can be arranged any time during the session, when time permits. I am ever ready to prove my strength if the Opposition members ask for it,'' he said.

Patel said he would not quit voluntarily. ``Not when there is vulgar display of greed for power politics all over. Such sacrificing idealists do not exist nor do they have a place in this country,'' he said.

``In the State there is debauchery at the individual level,'' he continued. ``The media is cultivating it. It should not happen. By debauchery I mean not being loyal to the party from which he or she has been given ticket, not being loyal to constituency.

``This is individual debauchery, debauchery to the constituency, as it takes away the attention from the right things, which I am opposed to,'' he said.He said the Assembly session would not be postponed. The notification had been issued already, he pointed out. The JDLP will be held during the session, when there is time, he said.

He agreed that the sessionwould be stormy as there were many issues invoved and the Opposition was also active. ``There is the flood situation, there is Cauvery, there is the question of power tariff, fertiliser and so on,'' he said.

When a reporter commented that Gowda seemed to be keen on meeting his supporters and feeling their pulse, Patel said: ``Let him (Deve Gowda) go on feeling the pulse of his supporters and then come to me to feel my pulse.''