Former PM H.D. Deve Gowda pulled curtains down again on joining hands with the BJP and came close to joining hands with the Congress by favouring a secular government in the state.At a meeting of senior party leaders convened by Gowda at his residence on Friday, it was decided that ‘‘they would maintain secular credentials of the party and its identity.’’ After the meeting, senior leaders Siddaramaiah, P.G.R. Sindhia and M.P. Prakash, along with Gowda, rushed to Delhi to attend a JD(S) political affairs committee meeting. Gowda is expected to meet senior CPI(M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjit before meeting Sonia Gandhi. Gowda, who has become a rallying point after a split verdict, was contacted by senior Congressmen, including CM S.M. Krishna on Thursday. They are believed to have sought the support of Gowda in stopping BJP from coming to power in the state.This apart, Surjit, who is working to form a Secular Front at the Centre, also spoke to Gowda on the phone on Thursday. He is believed to have suggested the a secular government in Karnataka. It is learnt that BJP spin doctor Arun Jaitley also made an attempt to seek JD(S) support by speaking to Gowda.‘‘We have discussed all possibilities, including re-election, coalition and seeking outside support from Congress,’’ Gowda said. Earlier in the day, he said he would not join hands with the BJP by compromising on the secular credentials of the party.
