Gowda told reporters after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi called on him this evening that JD chief Sharad Yadav would convene a meeting of the political affairs committee of the party to ``clinch'' the issue of supporting an alternative government after the President accepted the Congress claim to form the government.

Sonia also called on Gujral in the morning. Asked whether the JD would support a Congress-led government, Gujral said that the party had not taken a decision so far. A meeting between Sonia and Yadav was also on the cards tonight.

Earlier, Patel told The Indian Express that the party was divided on the question of supporting a Congress-led government. About his individual view, he said that it wasirrefutable that the Congress was the JD's main opponent in Karnataka.

``We are opposed to both the Congress and the BJP. The state unit of the party has agreed with my view that we should maintain equidistance,'' he said.

Patel said that if nothing worked out, a general election would become inevitable, ``although we didn't expect one.'' Asked about the possibility of a third front-led government, he said that did not seem probable.

Interestingly, the Karnataka Chief Minister, who had wanted the six-member JD to abstain from voting on the confidence motion moved by the Vajpayee Government, and Samata Party leader George Fernandes, Lok Shakti chief Ramakrishna Hegde and former Prime Minister I K Gujral met over dinner at Fernandes' residence. Fernandes called on Patel again this morning as also Sharad Yadav.

Patel has teamed up with former Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Gujral to oppose the party's extending support to a Congress-led government and have making their point in the party forums.Paswan and Patel were instrumental in getting Sharad Yadav to write to the President that the party was yet to take a decision on supporting a Congress government.

Asked about Gowda's pro-Congress statements, he said that it could have been his personal views and not that of the party. ``Ultimately it is the party which will have to take a decision,'' he said.