Monday, January 9 2006 20:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The strains in the Congress and Janata Dal (JD) Secular (S) relationship deepened today with JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda talking of elections in Karnataka and convening his party's National Executive on February eight to chalk out the future course of action.

A day after his meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee that fuelled speculation, he told reporters that review of relationship with Congress does not necessarily mean going with BJP for forming a Government 'but may be going back to the people (elections).'

Reacting to Gowda, Chief Minsiter N Dharam Singh said the state was not going to polls immediately but the Congress is prepared to face them whenever they come.

Gowda's comments assume significance in the context of ruptures in the Congress-JD(S) alliance after Congress High Command's decision to leave it to the state unit to possibly tie up with rebel JD(S) leader Siddaramaiah in the post-Zilla Parishad poll situation.

"There is some sort of deviation from the understanding when we have formed the coalition government. Those people who have been expelled for their indispline and for destablising my party, when they (Congress) wanted to have some understanding in some districts, is it not deviation from original understanding," Gowda said.