JD(S) rebels snub leadership

A day after the JD(S) issued a deadline to the 22 rebel legislators to fall in line, the MLAs termed it as yet another autocratic decision of party supremo H D Deve Gowda.

"Such threats will not have any effect on us. We are still part of the JD(S). We are equally responsible for building the party from scratch. We cannot be evicted from the party overnight. But if Gowda feels he can do it, we are ready to face the consequences," former deputy chief minister M P Prakash, who is spearheading the campaign against Gowda, told reporters on Friday.

He said the 22 legislators were still considering various options before them. "Since the Assembly has been dissolved, we have time to chalk out the next course of action. We will take one week to announce our action plan. The deadline set by the party does not mean anything to us," he added.

Meanwhile, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, after realising that his threat had failed to work, tried to resume negotiations with the legislators, who have parted ways with him and his father Gowda over the failure to transfer power to the BJP. However, his efforts were in vain as no rebel legislator showed interest in meeting him.

The party is likely to take a decision on the fate of the rebel legislators shortly.

Meanwhile, the JD(U) contacted the rebel legislators to bring them into the party fold. "JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav is in constant touch with Prakash. He has invited all supporters of Prakash to join the JD(U) and revive the party in the state," a JD(S) legislator said.