Date:16/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/16/stories/2006081605710400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Janata Dal (S), BJP to counter campaign launched by Congress

Special Correspondent

JD(S) legislature party meeting to be convened soon

Bangalore: The former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president, H.D. Deve Gowda, on Tuesday hoisted the national flag at the JD(S) headquarters here.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was present, left immediately to hoist the national flag at the official function held at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground.

The JD(S) function was a simple one and sweets were distributed even as patriotic songs were sung. The party's Bangalore city unit president, D.S. Srikantamurthy, and party spokesman Y.S.V. Datta, MLC, were also present.

Sources in the JD(S) said a legislature party meeting of the party would be called shortly to discuss ways to counter what they termed a misinformation campaign launched by the Congress to oust the coalition government.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had also evinced interest in countering the Congress campaign.

After the JD(S) legislature party meeting, leaders of the two coalition partners would sit together and chalk out the programme, they added.

Statewide agitation

PTI reports:

Both the parties have decided to take the Congress head on by launching a Statewide agitation to match the campaign against the coalition by raking up what they termed "scandals" that surfaced during the previous Congress regime, sources in the BJP told PTI here.