Wednesday, July 27 2005 20:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: A day after the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) chief H D Devegowda held talks with the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and complained about the 'open support' being extended by some Congress leaders in Karnataka to Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, moves were today (July 27, 2005) set in motion to defuse the crisis in the party.

Alarmed over the abrupt developments, some JDS leaders swung into action to arrest further aggravation of the crisis and are attempting to bring about a rapprochement between Gowda and Siddaramaiah, whose relations have strained in the recent months, according to a senior party leader.

Karnataka unit JDS working president H D Kumar Swamy, son of Gowda, in an informal chat with reporters here, indicated that 'it is unlikely that the matter would be precipitated' and said the crisis would be resolved 'amicably'.

A solution was expected to emerge in a couple of days after the top leaders of the party, including Gowda, Siddaramaiah, M P Prakash and P G R Sindhia meet and discuss the issues that caused the rift between the top leaders and ways to resolve the differences.

Kumar Swamy admitted that the JDS legislators have engaged in a signature campaign to demand the party leadership to convene a meeting of the legislature party at an early date to discuss the problems faced by legislators.

He however dismissed reports that the signature campaign was aimed at demanding a change in the legislature party leadership of Siddaramaiah.

Kumar Swamy dropped hints that the legislators were unlikely to press for replacing Siddaramaiah, who has been maintaining a defiant stand with Gowda on certain affairs concerning the party.

Asked whether a rapprochement was still possible between Gowda and Siddaramaiah, he exuded optimism that the crisis will end 'smoothly'.

JDS ministers & legilators have also been mounting pressure on top leaders

JDS ministers and legislators have also been mounting pressure on top leaders to find a solution by bringing about a patch up between Gowda and Siddaramaiah.

In the meanwhile, several legislators called on Siddaramaiah at his residence and urged him to hold talks with Gowda and bring the curtain down on the on-going stalemate.

Sources close to Siddaramaiah said the Deputy Chief Minister expressed his willingness to talks to Gowda and other leaders to sort out the differences.

Siddaramaiah told his confidants that there was no reason for Gowda to be unhappy over his participation in last Sunday's rally of Backward Classes, Dalits and minorities held in Hubli, as the former Prime Minister did not object to his attendance.

However, the participation of Siddaramaiah in the rally in which he shared a flat form with Congress leaders, who are political detractors of Gowda, irked the former prime minister and forced him to rush to Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi.

Though JDS sources declined to reveal the nature of talks Gowda had with Congress President, they claimed 'it is a positive response'.

A senior JDS leader refusing to be quoted expressed doubts over the crisis coming to an happy ending saying: Gowda and Siddaramaiah have reached a no-point of return.

The leader indicated that the Gowda was likely to convene the legislature party meeting on August one and replace Siddaramaiah by revenue minister M P Prakash.

The leader apprehends that divesting Siddaramaiah of the Legislature party leadership would certainly heighten the crisis.