Vajpayee denies Lalji Tandon sacked

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Wednesday denied that senior party colleague Lalji Tandon had been replaced as his election agent in his Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency.

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The prime minister and his party were put in an embarrassing situation after 21 women and a child were killed in Lucknow on Sunday in a stampede during a saree distribution function, which was part of Tandon's birthday celebrations.

"No (such) decision has been taken," Vajpayee told reporters in Lucknow.

Dismissing reports that Tandon had been replaced by S S Ahluwalia, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told PTI in Delhi, "The party has not discussed the issue, nor has it taken any decision on it. Such reports are mischievous, misleading and aimed at creating confusion."