The contradictory statements from the sparring leaders come even as a temporary truce prevails in Karnataka with Deve Gowda convinced of the difficulty in postponing Assembly session and Patel agreeing to discuss the leadership issue at the JDLP meeting after the session.

Patel, speaking to newsmen said that he was happy with the outcome of the talks his senior ministerial colleagues headed by deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held with Gowda on Sunday night. ``I was happy always, I am happy now and will remain happy. There is nothing to worry about'', Patel said.

But Deve Gowda said that the talks held on Sunday were inconclusive. Only some overenthusiastic ministers briefed the media that crisis hasblown over. He said he agreed with the ministers on the difficulty in postponing assembly session. This has been construed as if he agrees with all the issues, he added.

Deve Gowda said he would talk to the dissident MLAs on October 28 to decide future course of action. Asked whether the dissident MLAs would boycott the legislature session, scheduled to commence on October 29, he said "wait and watch."

Asked whether Patel had disobeyed the party high command s directive to postpone the legislature session following the memorandum submitted by the dissident legislators he said `I do not want to draw any inference. But I was convinced with the explanation given by the ministers about the difficulty in postponing the session''.

Patel however has denied that he was defying the party highcommand over the Assembly session issue and the JDLP meeting. He said he will be writing to Janata Dal president Sharad Yadav to fix any date for convening a meeting of Janata legislature party meeting to discuss the issuesraised by the JDLP after the adjournment of the legislature session beginning on October 29.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who met Deve Gowda again on Monday told newsmen that Gowda would come back to them after consulting the legislators who were in the city.

Siddaramaiah said it was also put forth to Gowda that in the event of Opposition parties bringing a no confidence motion against the Patel government during the session, the party members should face it unitedly to defeat it.