"What I said earlier (about joining the alliance) was not a party decision. I made a mistake," Ershad said. A decision to join any alliance may however be taken after reviewing the political situation, he told reporters.

"We had earlier decided in principle to join the four-party combine. But the decision was postponed after discussing the matter with the party presidium and former members of parliament," Ershad said. They told him that they would not be with him if he joined the alliance, he added.

The former president said they are now preparing to contest the next general election independently and will field candidates for all seats.

The new announcement followed a meeting of JP leaders, who were members of the eighth parliament, with the party chairman yesterday. All the former lawmakers excluding GM Quader, who opposed joining the BNP-led combine from the beginning, attended the meeting.

Terming his previous decision to join the alliance a 'mistake', Ershad later told reporters that most of the former lawmakers asked him not to go with the immediate past ruling coalition, saying they would leave him if he does so.

JP Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader told The Daily Star,"Fifteen lawmakers out of 16 present at the meeting suggested the party chairman to take time to join any alliances. So, the decision to join the BNP-led combine was changed."

Kazi Firoj Rashid, JP presidium member, said, "Party lawmakers told the chairman that they would not get vote if the party goes with the BNP. The party chairman then decided to take time to finalise the decision. He will take the right decision in time.

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JP sources said most of the party lawmakers, except Moshiur Rahman Ranga and Lili Chowdury, opposed going with the BNP. Ranga and Lily Chowdhury told Ershad that JP should join the BNP-led combine if they agree to fulfil its demands. But TIM Fazle Rabbi and Golam Habib Dulal said, " It is not the time to go with the alliance as they will face a debacle in the next election. So we should observe the situation more.".

Sources said lawmakers, who were elected from Rangpur region, strongly opposed joining the alliance. Their party will not get even half of the votes it bagged in the last election if it goes with the BNP, they told the party chief.

According to the sources, Ershad told the party meeting that BNP has changed its earlier position to give JP some facilities for contesting the election.

"I asked for funds for election in your seats but BNP is yet to finalise the matter," meeting sources quoted Ershad as telling his party lawmakers.

A source close to JP policymakers however said Ershad could change his position again, and everything will be finalised after the November 12 deadline the Awami League (AL) gave to the chief adviser for meeting its 11-point demand. Ershad would go with the BNP if the AL-led 14-party combine fails to control the situation. Ershad could sit with his party lawmakers on November 15 to take a final decision in this regard.

Sources mentioned that during primary discussion, JP asked the BNP leadership to sign an accord with it but the BNP high command did not agree to it. They however agreed to offer 22 seats for JP candidates in the next election but gave no assurance of financial help. So, JP did not agree to go with BNP.

But former deputy minister Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, who was involved in the process of negotiation with Ershad as a close aide to BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, told The Daily Star yesterday, "There is no last word in politics and we have come much closer. I hope Jatiya Party will finally join us to save the nation".

Terming JP's present decision a 'temporary' one, he hoped JP lawmakers will change their position and ultimately decide to join the BNP-led alliance.

Earlier on Friday, JP presidium empowered Ershad to take a decision to join the four-party alliance, and Ershad later told reporters that his party would join it.

But the next day Ershad changed his position and decided not to go with the BNP before the expiry of the 14-party's extended deadline.

JP central leaders told him that if the caretaker government did not meet the 14-party demands within the deadline, and in case they (14-party) decide to boycott the next election, JP could contest the election without joining any alliance. Later, Ershad said he would finalise everything after his meeting with party lawmakers.