Bangalore: Dashing flickering hopes of Janata Parivar unity in Karnataka before the next Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, JD-S (Janata Dal-Secular) led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today (Jan8, 2004) announced its decision to shut the door for merger moves with All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD).

Ending a nearly three year long exercise for unity, Gowda told that with elections to both Lok Sabha and Assembly round the corner, his party did not want to "waste" any more time on merger and decided to "close the chapter".

"Yes. Doors are shut for the merger", he said, a day after the party leaders held a meeting here yesterday (Jan7, 2004) to discuss the issue as the merger moves remained grounded for the last several months with leaders of both parties expressing divergent views on unity.

Gowda said his party made sincere moves with "honourable intentions" for merger but there were "some hidden forces", which he refused to name repeatedly tried to sabotage it.

With Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state round the corner, it was pointless to "waste any more time" on merger and to allow the confusion to continue, he said.

Asked about moves by some leaders for at least seat adjustments between JD (S) and AIPJD, he said "let us close the chapter".

He also ruled out the possibility of electoral adjustments with AIPJD. But, Gowda said, those wanting to join JD (S) were welcome but they should decide before January 15, when the party would begin an exercise to restructure the organisation to gear up for the elections.

Gowda said his party would contest all the 224 Assembly and 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka and would join hands with the left organisations at the national level.

Asked about some leaders blaming him for the failure of merger moves, he said, "Let them say anything".

He said JD (S) state unit president Siddaramaiah had initiated the merger moves without consulting him with good intentions but it did not succeed.

"JD (S) would not have anything either directly or indirectly to do with BJP or Congress and would fight both" he added.