The two sons-in-law of late All India Progressive Janata Dal leader Ramakrishna Hegde, accompanied by Ajay Singh, son of senior Congress leader Arjun Singh and the Congress legislator from Madhya Pradesh, on Monday met Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, triggering speculation that they may join the BJP.
BJP general secretary Pramod Majahan, however, said the meeting of Hegde's sons-in-law Gopal Hegde and Manu Nichani as well as Ajay with Advani was 'not even remotely connected with politics'. "Nothing political should be read in that," he said.
Ajay was elected to Madhya Pradesh assembly from Churhat constituency in assembly election held in November last year.
"Venkaiahji is upset over the reports being run by the television channels about meeting of Ajay Singh with him. Ajay Singh had accompanied a friend of the BJP party president from Madhya Pradesh. There is no political significance of the meeting. We regret any inconvenience that may have been caused to Arjun Singhji and his son," Mahajan said.
This announcement came minutes after Mahajan had denied that Ajay Singh had called on Naidu.
He said that after a meeting of the senior leaders the state selection committees has been directed to hold their meetings from March 10 onwards and finalise their recommendations before the March 14 so that the Central Election Committee of the party which would meet on March 14 and 15 will finalise the list of the candidates for the Lok Sabha election.
