'JD-S Kerala not to take decision'

Bangalore, Mar 23: Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) National President H D Deve Gowda has appealed to party Kerala unit not to take any hasty decision on the issue relating to a section of the party legislators in Karnataka joining hands with the BJP to form a new government under his son H D Kumaraswamy's leadership.

Mr Gowda's appeal comes in the wake of party Kerala President M P Veerendra Kumar demanding his explusion from the party following media reports that he had recognised Mr Kumaraswamy as the party's leader in the Karnataka Assembly. Mr Kumar had also convened an emergent meeting of the party's Kerala Executive Committee to decide on the further course of action.

Addressing newspersons here yesterday, Mr Gowda clarified that he had never approved the action of Mr Kumaraswamy and pointed out that all the 40 legislators, including Mr Kumaraswamy, had been suspended from the party for their action and the matter had been referred to the Party Disciplinary Committee for further action.

Appealing to Mr Kumar not to take any hasty decision on the issue and precipitate matters further, he said ''I hope good sense prevails upon Mr Kumar... he is not aware of the crux of the problem in the party unit in Karnataka".

UNI