Bangalore, Nov 27: Nearly 30 Janata Dal (Secular) legislators disillusioned with the functioning of Party Supremo H D Devegowda are likely to participate in a meeting convened by former Home Minister M P Prakash tomorrow to decide the future course of action.

Talking to newsmen here he defended the need for such a meeting to be held on the eve of the Working Committee of the JD(S) here on November 29 and attacked Mr Gowda and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for running the party affairs in a 'dictatorial' manner.

He said those who would attend tomorrow's meeting would keep away from the Thursday meeting of Mr Devegowda. The likeminded legislators have expressed resentment over the manner in which the party had handled the power transfer issue and the subsequent withdrawal of support to the Yedyurappa government Saying that certain decisions taken unilaterally by the two leaders had tarnished the image of the JD(S) in Karnataka, he said his group would discuss all revelant matters in tomorrow's meeting.

Denying that convening a 'parallel' meeting would amount to split in State JD(S), Mr Prakash however said that he still believed in the leadership of H D Deve Gowda. "I will not do anything that will result into the break of the party" he however said. Replying to question Mr Prakash also informed that the 'like-minded leaders' had also planned to hold a convention at Hubli next month.

Terming political parties inviting the JD(S) legislators to join their parties it as 'nothing unusual', Mr Prakash said National Congress Party (NCP), Samajawadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj party (BSP) and also from JD(U) had contacted them.

"I have not promised anything to those parties that had sent feelers to join their parties" he said.

Mr Devegowda in his reaction to the parallel meeting said that he was not bothered by such actions. ''Those who want to leave the party can go'' was his comment.



UNI