Karnataka CM refuses to resign

BJP president Rajanth Singh, meanwhile, held a telephonic talk with former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and invited him to Delhi for a fresh round of talks on the issue of transfer of power in the state.

Gowda, the man who is believed to be pouring water on the BJP?s hope to have its first government in any of the southern states, however, on Tuesday reiterated that there would be no development before October 5. ?Next Friday we are going to meet in Delhi. Political affairs committee will take a final decision on all these matters. Please wait till then,? he said.

Moreover, adding salt to BJP?s wound, JD(S) also sought to distance itself from the power-sharing agreement reached 20 months ago between the two parties. Under the power-sharing pact, Kumaraswamy is supposed to demit office on October 3, making way for BJP?s BS Yediyurappa to take over the chief ministership.

?The agreement was between me and some BJP leaders. There was no understanding between the two parties,? Kumaraswamy is reported to have told reporters in Bangalore and added that the decision to handover power to BJP could not be taken in haste.

Meanwhile, putting up a brave front on the issue, Rajnath Singh said that talks were still on. ?The talks are on. We had a meeting on Monday. And we will meet again,? he said adding that, ?I have spoken to Gowdaji. He is coming to Delhi and I am scheduled to have a meeting with him. But he refused to stipulate any timeframe for the talks.

A senior BJP leader, who has been in the thick of affairs in Karnataka, claimed that the party did not intend to do anything, which could further precipitate the situation in the state.

Failing to receive a positive signal from Bangalore, the BJP also postponed its schedule meeting of the parliamentary party to take stock of the political situation in the state and formulate guidelines for the state unit to form the government.