Thursday, September 29 2005 17:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: The stage is set for the parallel conclave convened by the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) rebel faction leader and former deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here tomorrow in an apparent show of strength against JDS supremo H D Devegowda.

Stung by the moves initiated against him by Gowda after their relations hit an all-time low, Siddaramaiah, whom the party suspended recently has labeled the parallel meeting of the party as the 'National Executive'.

The moves of Siddaramaiah and his supporters in organizing a convention under the JDS banner has been viewed as the first step in effecting a split in the party and setting the stage for a legal battle to assert who controlled the party affairs.

Sources close to Siddaramaiah say that the dismissed deputy chief minister had plans to approach the Election Commission declaring that the faction led by him was the 'real JDS' and even staking claim for the party symbol 'woman carrying a haystack'.

Meanwhile, another suspended leader and party national vice president C M Ibrahim told a press conference here that leaders across the country including Gowda have been invited to tomorrow's meeting.

The faction has planned to hold its plenary session during second week of December.

Gowda, who was irked by defiance of his dictate of not to associate with the rallies organised under the banner of dalits, Backward classes and minorities by Siddaramaiah, divested him of the JDS legislature party leadership and got him dismissed from the ministry.

When Siddaramaiah went ahead with the rallies and launched a no-holds barred attack on Gowda and his family members, the former prime minister convened the JDS State Council meeting and suspended the rebel leader along with national vice president Ibrahim.

Gowda suspended Siddaramaiah on September 22 to send a signal to the party men that they should not attend any convention organised by the former deputy chief minister under the party banner.