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BJP may replace UP chief minister

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

There is fresh speculation about a change of guard in Uttar Pradesh, with the summoning of top state Bharatiya Janata Party leaders by the party high command last evening.

Since the development took place close on the heels of a day's visit by BJP troubleshooter K N Govindacharya, who was also incharge of the party's UP affairs, much significance was being attached to the unscheduled departure of Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta and three senior cabinet colleagues (and also chief ministerial aspirants) to Delhi.

Following them in the usual service flight was Union Surface Transport Minister Raj Nath Singh , who was among front-runners in the race for succession alongwith UP ministers Kalraj Misra, Om Prakash Singh and Lalji Tandon. Singh, who had arrived in Lucknow yesterday to chair a function at the local DAV College, had planned to spend the weekend here, when he was summoned back to the capital.

What gave added credence to the speculation was a statement by BJP national general secretary Sanghpriya Gautam in Delhi two days back . "The UP chief minister will be replaced after the panchayat elections on June 23," Gautam had stated.

However, Govindacharya was quick to counter Gautam's statement, after closed-door parleys with BJP bigwigs in Lucknow, barely 48 hours later. But considering Govindacharya's past, when he predicted a long tenure for Kalyan Singh, who was shunted shortly thereafter, his latest assertion ruling out a change of leadership, has been taken with a pinch of salt. His simultaneous remark about "need for improvement in UP's governance" aroused further doubts.

Significantly, Misra and Tandon had returned from New Delhi on Friday, after detailed talks with BJP chief Kushabhau Thakre.

Thakre will meet the leaders separately in New Delhi today. Earlier, Misra, Tandon and Raj Nath Singh had brought about Kalyan Singh's fall. However, even though they succeeded, Misra, the then front-runner for the CM's chair, was left high and dry when Gupta was chosen. Misra's case was frustrated by his Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh clan, which could not overlook corruption in the ministry of public works, headed by him.

Once again, Misra's dubious reputation came in his way, with Raj Nath Singh enjoying a much better rating.

It was for this reason that Misra had a temporary truce with Tandon and Om Prakash Singh . The three then ganged up to keep Raj Nath Singh at bay.

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