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BJP gloats as Kalyan gropes in isolation

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The lack of party legislators at expelled former chief minister Kalyan Singh's launch of his new outfit, coupled with his inability to give it a name, flag and symbol, has convinced the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership that he is on "weak ground", sources indicated.

They told rediff.com that the fact that Kalyan Singh was still contemplating the name of his new outfit and its symbol showed that he was "not fully prepared and is still groping".

"If you want to announce the formation of a new political entity, the first thing you do is to announce its name and party symbol. Kalyan Singh did not do that when he launched his new party yesterday and that reveals that he is still confused and unprepared," a senior BJP vice-president pointed out.

He also underscored that contrary to the ousted chief minister's "hype", the party legislators who he had claimed would resign and join him just did not show up. This indicated that his "desperation" is being exposed.

The vice-president said it was one thing for a politician to make tall claims while being in the party and quite another to do so when out of it.

Actually, after announcing Kalyan Singh's expulsion from the party for six years, BJP president Shashikant 'Kushabhau' Thakre had conceded that the organisation would suffer some damage. But central spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu insisted that the BJP is a national party and the exit of an individual would not cause even a ripple. "Our party is sturdy and durable enough to weather developments of this nature," Naidu said, adding that all steps were being taken by the central leadership to strengthen the party unit in Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Thakre is believed to have told UP Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta to use the disciplinary stick on defiant legislators to nip any crisis in the bud. When Kalyan Singh launched his new party, the only legislators present were Kripal Singh, and Bir Singh Siroha, belonging to his home district Aligarh.

Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Rajnath Singh, who is also the Union surface transport minister, is understood to have told the chief minister that even while strict action must be initiated against party legislators supporting Kalyan Singh, efforts must be made to secure their loyalty. This is also the strategy of the central leadership, the BJP vice-president pointed out.

The party leadership also breathed a sigh of relief at Kalyan Singh's inability to forge any sort of alliance with Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. BJP sources said the high command had expected a Kalyan-Mulayam understanding once the rebel leader dissociated himself from the Ram Mandir issue. But so far, this has not come off and the ousted chief minister is now talking of his new party contesting all 425 assembly seats in the state, without an alliance with any other party. But the BJP is taking no chances and is closely monitoring the situation.

The sources, however, declined to comment on the reported moves of the high command to conclude a BJP-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in the state to counter the backward-class card of the Kalyan-Mulayam duo, if they ever come together. "Efforts in this direction are continuing and we can comment when there is something tangible," they pointed out.

BSP vice-president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati, however, has welcomed her bete noir Kalyan Singh's expulsion, underlining that leaders like him should be banished from the state. Mayawati and her party chief, Kanshi Ram, are keeping their cards close to their chest.

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