Reddy will, in all probability, contest from the Miryalguda Lok Sabha seat in Nalgonda district in Andhra Pradesh. If given a go-ahead by the Congress leadership, he will be replacing member of the dissolved Lok Sabha BN Reddy.When asked the reason for his resignation, Reddy said that Congress was the "single largest secular organisation that can take on the communal BJP".

Reddy, who has sent his resignation letter to JD (Secular) president HD Deve Gowda, pointed out at a press conference here that "all other secular forces will have to join hands with Congress either before or after the Lok Sabha elections. Support to Congress, either from inside or outside, is therefore a historical necessity at the present moment."

Replying to questions on viabilityof a "Third Front", he said "I do not think in the near future there can be a viable third force" and added that Congress with other supporting parties will fill the void.

The defection of Jaipal Reddy, one of the most visible faces in the Janata Dal and in the non-Congress and non-BJP camps in the last decade or so, will be a major loss for the Deve Gowda faction of the Janata Dal.

An able parliamentarian, he has been the most articulate voice within JD and the now-split United Front of which he was a spokesman.

According to political circles, Reddy's decision to switch over to Congress was yet another instance of politicians succumbing to the lure of electoral politics. If he had stuck to JD (S) he would have been nowhere, for the party virtually does not have any presence in Andhra Pradesh.

Not a man known to possess a mass base to see him through at the hustings, he had no choice but to join the bandwagon of a major party, political experts maintain.

Even his earlier elections to Parliament hadbeen made possible courtesy the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). A virtual critic of the BJP, joining the TDP or taking support was not an option for him as the TDP has been supporting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In the bipolar politics of Andhra Pradesh, he could not have thrown his weight except around the Congress.

Meanwhile, the Reddy's parent outfit Janata Dal (Secular), headed by H D Deve Gowda, has demanded that the Election Commission suspend the recognition to Samata Party and Lok Shakti as both the parties had united with Janata Dal (United) led by Sharad Yadav.

The Deve Gowda faction has urged the commission to withdraw the facility of free air time on Doordarshan and All India Radio to both the parties as their candidates would be contesting under the common symbol `Arrow' and banner of `reinvented Janata' Dal headed by Sharad Yadav.