Monday, September 5 2005 15:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Irked by the reported demand of a section of Congressmen in Karnataka to end the coalition ties with his party, Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) supremo H D Deve Gowda today (Sept 5, 2005) asserted his party was ready to face snap polls to the assembly and 'accept' whatever decision Congress President Sonia Gandhi takes on the issue.

"If Gandhi is convinced that the JDS is weakening Congress and posing a danger to the secular democratic system and if she calls me to tell this and call off the coalition government I will accept the decision", Gowda declared at a press conference in Bangalore.

However, Gowda had a word of caution to offer to his Congress counterpart telling her to verify the claims of those of her party men orchestrating for parting of ways with JDS before arriving at a decision.

The very objective of accepting the Congress request for formation of a coalition government though both parties had been fighting against each other was to check the growth of communal parties like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gowda said and asserted in the event of a mid-term poll, JDS would not join hands with BJP.

Unmindful of the criticism over luring leaders from other parties including from Congress to strengthen JDS, he challenged Congress and BJP to pull his party men to their fold saying, "I have no objection to it". He said he has not made attempts to split the Congress by engineering defection in it.

Gowda's remarks came following a meeting yesterday of some former ministers and legislators who accused Gowda of trying to weaken the Congress and reportedly favoured a review of ties with JDS.

Gowda alleged that earlier some Congress leaders worked hard to destroy JDS, but failed.

"I want to make it crystal clear that If Sonia Gandhi comes to the conclusion on the basis of her own reports that the JDS is weakening her party and the coalition government cannot be continued, let her call me and tell. I will accept the decision", he said.

Last week, Gowda brought into JDS some Congress leaders of Mysore and Chamarajnagar districts in an apparent attempt to counter the JDS rebel leader Siddaramaiah, who was sacked as deputy chief minister and is now on statewide campaign attacking the former prime minister.

Gowda also dismissed allegations that he was blocking the entry of Siddaramaiah and his followers into the Congress.

Earlier Gowda admitted more than 80 Janata Dal-United leaders of Chitradurga into the party including B T Chennabasappa, sitting MLC.

The JDS is organising a rally at Chitradurga on September 8.