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Dissidents challenge Patel to a trial of strength

The battle lines within the ruling party in Karnataka were drawn clearly today with 46 dissident MLAs asking Chief Minister J H Patel to seek a vote of confidence in the Janata Dal Legislature Party before October 29, when the state assembly convenes.

In a signed memorandum submitted to Patel in the evening, the legislators said he had lost the support of the majority in the JDLP.

This followed Patel's rejection earlier in the day of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's suggestion, made on Friday night, to convene the JDLP before the assembly session begins, pleading lack of time.

Welcoming Patel's changed stand that he was ready for a trial of strength in the assembly or the JDLP, Deve Gowda had urged him to convene the JDLP on October 26 or 27.

Since Patel has to attend the Cauvery River Authority meeting on October 28, Deve Gowda suggested that he could convene the JDLP before that.

But speaking to reporters at his residence in Bangalore, Patel said the dissidents could not fix the date and time for a meeting of the JDLP.

He said the meeting would be called during the session when there was less legislative business.

Asked whether the dissidents had met him and submitted a memorandum urging him to convene the JDLP, he said he had not seen their faces at all.

Reiterating that he did not fear anything, Patel said he was quite comfortable in handling any challenge, including facing the JDLP.

Meanwhile, a group of senior ministers and legislators held a meeting at Deputy Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah's residence and discussed the latest developments. Prominent among them were Transport Minister P G R Sindhia, Horticulture Minister D T Jaykumar and Chenigappa, MLA.

UNI

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