Gowda, Rajnath to meet over K'taka power crisis

New Delhi, Oct 6: The meeting between Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) chief H D Deve Gowda and Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh to discuss the power transfer issue in Karnataka will take place today.

"Mostly one of the senior members of the political affairs committee and I will be meeting Rajnathji tomorrow," Gowda said here.

"The meeting will discuss the experience of twenty months of coalition rule in the state. Karanataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will also attend the meeting," he added.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Cabinet today decided to hold special session of the State Assembly on October 18 for a trial of strength.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, State Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti said: "The decision will be intimated to the Governor, his permission will be sought (for convening the session)."

The BJP's chief ministerial candidate, B S Yediyurappa, said that his party would take three to four days before responding to the "grave charges" made against it by Chief Minister Kumaraswamy.

"We also have a long list (of grave charges against the coalition partner JDS). If they (JDS) don't want to transfer power, we are also ready for elections. Let's go before the people", he said.

Both Kumaraswamy and Gowda have clearly indicated that the handing over of power to the BJP might not take place.

Kumaraswamy, who had inked a power-sharing agreement with the BJP twenty months back, yesterday threatened to end the coalition saying, ''We will go to people's court."

"I am ready to break my word on power transfer in the interest of the State,'' he added.

Kumaraswamy attacked the 'communal' BJP for attempting to malign him and his family with allegations of bribery and corruption.

However, he said, that he would abide by the decision of his party on this issue.

Reports from Bangalore indicate that a section of legislators belonging to the JD (S) have asked their leadership to avert a mid-term poll by handing over the Chief Ministership to the State BJP leadership.

ANI>