“It is like four runs needed from the last ball in a one-day match. We may hit a four or a six or score no run at all”- This is how a senior Congress leader summed up the situation in the party camp in the present political developments.

While keenly watching the political developments in both Janata Dal (S) as well as BJP camps, State Congress leaders are eagerly looking forward to the return of AICC President Sonia Gandhi to Delhi from the US on October 5. “The Congress stand on the political uncertainty existing in Karnataka will be finalised only after the return of Ms Gandhi. She had made it known to the state leaders before leaving for UN that she would counsult us before arriving at a decision,” a senior Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Prithviraj Chavan is expected to arrive at Bangalore either on October 7 or October 8.

In the meantime, Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh, who is in Bangalore, ruled out the possibility of BJP coming to power in Karnataka. “I think it will never happen, ” he told reporters at the sidelines of a function.
Mr Singh declined to comment whether the Congress would join hands with the JD(S) to form the government in the State. Asked whether he plans to meet JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda, Mr  Singh replied in the negative.

It is learnt that some Congress legislators have conveyed to Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Mallikarjun Kharge to take “appropriate steps” to avert mid-term elections in the State.
Sources said even as the Congress leaders here have taken an avowed stand that they are against joining hands with the JD(S), many MLAs during their private meetings with Mr Kharge and other senior leaders are understood to have aired their views that mid-term elections to the Assembly should be avoided.
The Siddaramaiah camp within Congress, which is strongly opposed to extending support to the JD(S), has not made it’s strategy clear.