Tuesday, January 10 2006 19:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Davanagere: As the rift between the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in Karnataka on the issue of forging ties in Zilla and Taluk Panchayats continued to widen, JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda today (Jan 10, 2006) said he would begin the exercise of consulting partymen from tomorrow to decide the 'fate' of the coalition Government.

Heads of JDS district units would be invited to Bangalore from tomorrow to elicit their views on whether to continue the coalition arrangement with Congress or to call it off in the wake of sharp differences between the parties over sharing of power in Panchayats which have thrown fractured verdict, he told reporters here.

Gowda said he has also decided to hold consultations with ministers representing JDS in the coalition ministry to decide future plans.

Gowda is irked by the stand adopted by the Congress to allow the state unit to decide on forging alliance with other parties in Panchayats and has threatened to review coalition ties. He reiterated that a decision would be announced in this regard on February nine, after conclusion of the party's national executive meeting to be held in Bangalore.

A meeting of newly elected Zilla and Taluk Panchayat members would be convened in Bangalore on January 23.

Meanwhile, Karnataka PCC President M Mallikarjun Kharge said the party has not issued any 'specific' direction to its district units on the issue of forging an alliance with other parties.

He was talking to reporters after attending a meeting of the party's observers, appointed to oversee election of Presidents and Vice-Presidents in Panchayats.

He said the districts units have been advised to tie-up with any political outfit, JDS, AIPJD and Communists, depending on the local conditions and in the interest of the party, but not with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under any circumstance.

In districts where Congress faces a problem in deciding on alliance, observers would resolve the issue.

Kharge, however, ruled out any threat to the stability of the Coalition Government headed by Chief Minister N Dharam Singh in the wake of the JDS threat to pull out if the Congress opted for a tie-up with AIPJD led by rebel leader Siddaramaiah.

Singh also attended the meeting.