Monday, January 23 2006 13:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Defiant Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) rebel leader and the mastermind behind the coup that has brought the Dharam Singh government to the brink of collapse, H D Kumaraswamy would meet his father H D Deve Gowda tonight (Jan 23, 2006), JDS sources said today.

"It is certain that Kumaraswamy will be calling on his father and holding talks on the political developments today. But the venue and time of the meeting between the father and son is yet to be known", JDS spokesman Y S V Datta told sources. Kumaraswamy who had accompanied the legislators supporting him to Goa was now in Hubli en-route to Bangalore, sources said.

Kumaraswamy is being accompanied by Health Minister N Cheluvaraya Swamy and Minister for Sugar Amaregouda Bayyapura.

When queried what prompted Kumaraswamy to meet his father, who has been trying his best ensure that the rebels change their minds on aligning with BJP to form another coalition government, Datta said, "Sympathisers of Gowda have prevailed over Kumaraswamy to meet his father".

Gowda, on his part, has not persuaded Kumaraswamy to return to the city, Datta maintained.

However Kumaraswamy speaking to reporters at Hubli dismissed chances of his going back on his decision to form the JDS government with the BJP support.

He asserted that the outcome of talks between Gowda and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, expected in a day two would not alter the situation in Karnataka.