New Delhi, Feb. 15: The political cauldron in Karnataka, where simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are likely, is churning.

The major players — the Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the BJP — are pulling out all stops to win the polls. The Congress and the Dal, led by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, are the front-runners, but the BJP is hoping to launch an all-out attack against the ruling Congress.

The BJP is trying to prevent splinter Janata Dal groups from allying with Gowda. Sources said National Democratic Alliance convener George Fernandes recently met S.R. Bommai, president of the All India Progressive Janata Dal, offering to make him a governor if he does not tie up with the Dal.

Elsewhere, liquor baron and Janata Party working president Vijay Mallya is trying to persuade Bommai to merge the Progressive Janata Dal with his party to pre-empt an alliance with the Dal.

Mallya and Subramanian Swamy yesterday met Bommai, but the latter is yet to take a decision. Sources say Fernandes is preying on Bommai to spoil Gowda’s chances while Mallya — thought to be a relative of chief minister S.M. Krishna — is working on the veteran socialist to help the Congress.

The Congress and the BJP would benefit if Bommai does not align with Gowda for this would split the Janata parivar votes.

The BJP is wooing former Union minister and Dal leader C.M. Ibrahim to expand its social base. Ibrahim, a former Rajya Sabha MP, does not have a mass base but is known to have good relations with Muslim religious leaders. Ibrahim is likely to be the Dal’s Lok Sabha candidate from Bangalore (North). Former Union minister and BJP leader Ananth Kumar met with him in Bangalore recently, the sources said.

To undermine the BJP and to win over the influential Lingayats, Gowda is working on Rajashekhara Murthy, whose relations with the BJP have soured. Murthy, a former state Congress unit chief, joined the BJP after being replaced as state chief by Krishna.

The BJP had promised to make him chief minister or a Union minister, but the party was routed in the Assembly elections. Murthy also lost out on a cabinet berth because of internal politics.

A Dal leader said if Murthy joined his party “we will have a sweep in south Karnataka — the Lingayat belt”.

Ibrahim, whose relations with his mentor Gowda are strained, has not been attending important party meetings of late.

Karnataka BJP leaders, who feel the Congress and the Dal are the main players, believe they will benefit by roping in Muslim leaders like Ibrahim.