Bangalore: Governor T.N. Chaturvedi on Thursday categorically said that Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash is the leader of the Janata Dal (Secular) Legislature Party and that he has gone by the recognition given to him by the Speaker of Legislative Assembly Krishna.

Claim

The decision of the Governor has thus has put to rest the claim made by rebel Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy that he is the new leader of the legislature party.

Sources in the party told The Hindu that the recognition given by the Governor to Mr. Prakash should help the party leadership to quell the rebellion. The situation at the resort where the legislators are accommodated presented a different picture. Not one of the MLAs was prepared to get back to the coalition arrangement with the Congress. "We prefer the BJP" was their slogan. It was evident that the rebel leaders would not retrace their steps. There is talk that the MLAs will be taken to Bhopal where the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power or even Bangkok. The MLAs supporting Mr. Kumaraswamy have remained incommunicado to prevent poaching by the other group.

Moved out

Soon after the Governor announced his decision, the rebel MLAs were moved out of the resort on Doddaballapur Road to another undisclosed location.

A top party leader looking after the legislators told The Hindu that should the rebel leaders find it difficult to prevent "poaching", they may even fly out of the country.

"We may even fly to Bangkok since it is cheaper to fly there than to other places within the country. We will get back with a bang and prove our strength," he said.

`Horse-trading'

Asked on the possibility of "horse trading" in the light of the eight-day period given to the Chief Minister to prove his majority, the Governor said: "There is nothing like horse trading mentioned in the Constitution. MLAs cannot be equated with horses. Should there be any report that the legislators were being coerced to stay put in a given place then I will ask the Police Commissioner to look into the matter. What can I do if the legislators want to go on a picnic?" The former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) national President H.D. Deve Gowda told The Hindu that "come what may I will stand by the commitment for a secular government in the State."

His party joined hands with the Congress only to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party at bay, he said.

"I have commenced the exercise of ascertaining the views of party workers from the districts. If we cannot continue with the alliance with the Congress, we can rather go for elections," he said.

Most of the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders have said that the Congress had stretched their party too far and taken it for granted.

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