JD-S to meet on Oct 5 to take decision on K'taka

Agencies Posted: Oct 01, 2007 at 0000 hrs
New Delhi, October 1: The Political Affairs Committee of the JD(S) will meet here on October five to take a decision on the developments in Karnataka, in a clear hint that it may not transfer power to ally BJP on October 3.

The Friday meeting will take stock of the political developments in the state besides discussing the 20 months in power and the victory in recent local body polls, JD(S) spokesman Danish Ali said in New Delhi on Monday.

"Don't expect any decision on Karnataka before October five. Whatever decision be, it will be taken only in the meeting on October five or after that," Ali said.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and legislators have assured the central leadership that they will go by what the party high command decides on the issue of transfer of power, he said.

"The decision to ally with BJP was taken by legislators. This time they have assured us that they will abide by the decision of the high command," Ali said.

The BJP has so far failed to elicit any positive response from the JD(S) on power transfer as agreed upon 20 months earlier when the latter broke ranks with Congress to form a government in the state.

Though the saffron party had rushed veteran leader Yashwant Sinha to facilitate power transfer talks, JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda had been adamant and was putting blocks from time to time.

The emergence of JD-S as the single largest party in the urban bodies elections in 27 districts in the state has also emboldened Gowda.