New Delhi, Oct. 14 :    New Delhi, Oct. 14:  Seething over his omission from the Vajpayee Cabinet, Lok Shakti chief Ramakrishna Hegde is trying to hit back by splitting the Samata Party. Hegde holds Samata leader George Fernandes responsible for his exclusion and has begun meeting with disgruntled MPs from his party. Prabhunath Singh, senior Samata MP, who also assailed Fernandes for promoting sycophants, today met Hegde at his residence to discuss future strategy. ?I have been betrayed and I will take suitable action. I will review ties with the Janata Dal (United),? Hegde told angry party workers at his residence. Yesterday, an irate Hegde had said Fernandes had not had the ?tameez? (courtesy) to consult him on who should be picked for the council of ministers from Karnataka. Hundreds of Lok Shakti workers, led by Delhi unit president Deshabhandu Sharma, demonstrated outside Fernandes? residence today. They shouted slogans, calling him ?betrayer? and ?backstabber George?. Before marching to Fernandes? residence, the workers held a meeting at Hegde?s house. Sharma said Fernandes had stabbed the former commerce minister in the back. ?George is a person bereft of principles or values, while Hegde stands for principles and values in politics,? he added. Sources said half-a-dozen Samata Party MPs from Bihar, are willing to join hands with Hegde and form a new party. Alternatively, they could join the Lok Shakti. Hegde also has the support of two of the three Lok Shakti MPs from Karnataka and two other JD(U) MPs. Hegde has already indicated that the Lok Shakti will break ties with the JD(U). Fernandes has convened a meeting of the JD(U) on October 30 here to formalise the merger of the Lok Shakti, Samata Party and the Sharad Yadav faction. The JD(U), though it contested elections under a common symbol, had postponed its official merger till after the elections. Sensing trouble, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav visited Hegde at his residence to pacify him, but in vain. Fernandes despatched Digvijay Singh, his prot?g? and the newly-anointed minister of state, but Hegde snubbed the envoy. Sources close to Hegde said he felt humiliated as even Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee did not phone him. Law minister Ram Jethmalani, a personal friend, called Hegde to commiserate with him. Another personal friend and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj also called on Hegde and expressed her sympathies. She told Hegde that Vajpayee, home minister L.K. Advani and party president Kushabhau Thakre had not bothered to inform her why she was not inducted into the Cabinet. S.M. Krishna, the Congress chief minister from Karnataka, called on Hegde and exchanged ?warm greetings?, sources said. Three Samata Party MPs ? Prabhunath Singh, Jai Narayan Prasad Nishad and Manjay Lal had yesterday assailed Fernandes for giving precedence to ?personal interests? over Bihar while selecting ministerial candidates.