Bangalore: As uncertainty continues to dog Government formation even 11 days after the Assembly polls results were announced, the JD-S (Janata Dal-Secular) and Congress are holding their legislature party meetings today (May 24, 2004) to work out their strategies on ministry formation.

The Congress which was voted out of power in the elections and JD-S led by former Prime Minister H D Devegowda have been bargaining hard on who should lead the coalition amidst conflicting reports about the outcome of their talks held till now.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which emerged as the single largest party in a fractured three-way verdict that saw JD-S come out as the decider, has been adopting a cautious "wait and watch" approach before deciding its moves.

At its legislature party meeting yesterday (May 23, 2004), BJP even deferred the election of its leader awaiting the outcome of the legislature party meetings of the Congress and JD-S.

Gowda who has held three rounds of talks with Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrived from Delhi yesterday evening and the party legislators are gathering at an undisclosed destination to make up their minds in the light of the Congress' insistence that it should lead the coalition.

Gowda has declined to comment on his talks with Gandhi.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers P M Sayeed and Vilasrao Deshmukh would attend the Congress legislature party meeting where they are expected to elicit legislators views on Government formation.

Besides outgoing Chief Minister S M Krishna, the names of senior ministers Mallikarjun Kharge and Dharam Singh are doing rounds for the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leadership. Both Kharge and Singh have openly expressed their inclination for the post.