But on Tuesday, it was a lonesome Gowda who took off to visit a temple in the neighbouring state. After the Karnataka High Court lashed out at the minister for alleged irregularities in the appointment of non-teaching staff at Hassan and Mysore government medical colleges, Gowda appears to be isolated in the Cabinet.

None of his Cabinet colleagues has come out in support of the beleaguered Gowda and the High Court has directed him to appear in person before it on September 9 to file an affidavit explaining the reasons for cancelling the appointment of 307 employees in the medical colleges in the two districts.

The chief minister, who has time and again found himself faced with alleged indiscretions committed by his ministerial colleagues, will take a final call on whether to allow Gowda to continue functioning as a minister once the results of the by-polls are declared on September 16.

Yeddyurappa has already announced that his next course of action would depend on the findings of Additional Chief Secretary Abhijit Das Gupta’s inquiry into the recruitment scam. The chief minister’s office and the chief secretary sought reports on the alleged irregularities from the Medical Education Department principal secretary.

The report was damning enough for the chief minister to step in to cancel the appointments. In this context, sources said, the order terminating the employment of the non-teaching staff was issued only after the government was convinced that there was flagrant violation of appointment regulations.

As things stand now for Gowda, Das Gupta’s report and the view the HC might take on the minister’s arguments when he appears in court two days from now would be crucial. If the court reaches a conclusion that might potentially embarrass the minister, he may then find it difficult to continue in office.