The truce was reached at a meeting between Patel and Gowda at the former PM's residence mediated by senior leader SR Bommai, the first parleys between them ever since dissidents raised the demand for removal of Patel early last month.

After the two-hour-long meeting, Bommai said the leaders had ``collectively'' decided that the JDLP meeting would take place in Bangalore after the conclusion of the Assembly session on Nov 11.

While the dissidents had been demanding that the meeting be convened during the session and had given an ultimatum that a decision be taken before yesterday, Patel had been maintaining that he was prepared to convene the JDLP after thesession.

Significantly, the leaders decided that JD would vote en bloc against the no-confidence motion against the Patel government when it comes up for voting on Nov six.

Maintaining that the issue of leadership change did not figure in today's meeting, Bommai parried newsmen's questions about the possibility of a change in leadership by removing Patel.

He said that Gowda and he would be in Bangalore from Nov 8 to meet legislators for two or three days to listen to their ``grievances and problems''.

On Nov 12, they would meet senior ministers on how to strengthen the party and tone up the administration with the objective of facing next year's Assembly elections in a better manner.

Bommai said Patel has opted to keep out of their meeting with legislators as they might not be forthcoming with their views.