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Is high-profile Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh on a mission to topple the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government in Uttar Pradesh? This is the question doing the rounds in political circles ever since Singh arrived in Lucknow on Thursday morning.
On the other hand, BJP state president Vinay Katiyar remained busy in a damage-control exercise. Former chief minister Rajnath Singh, who is now a national general secretary of the BJP, also flew in to participate in efforts to placate the dissidents. He held a prolonged closed-door session with Katiyar, Housing Minister Lalji Tandon, and former state BJP chief Kalraj Misra.
Amar Singh, who is regarded one of the shrewder political operators, created a sensation when he surfaced at the residence of Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, the independent MLA from Kunda who commands the following of at least 15 other independent legislators in the 403-member state assembly.
While the Samajwadi Party leader claimed that he was there on a purely personal visit to attend the sixth birthday celebration of Raja Bhaiya's daughter, political analysts read much more into it, especially since a few BJP dissidents were also seen at the party.
Though Amar Singh insisted it was a social call, political observers have not forgotten how he had lambasted Raja Bhaiya at several election meetings earlier this year for aligning with the BJP.
While flatly denying that he was in any way engaged in a toppling game, he clarified: "If we have to topple, I need not come here; I can manage it sitting in Delhi."
Meanwhile, hectic activity was visible in and around the BJP state headquarters. At the end of the day, Katiyar told reporters, "Everything has been sorted out. The crisis has blown over."
Earlier, Rajnath Singh too tried to downplay the dissident activity, claiming, "They are not rebels. I am confident that whatever they do will not be directed against the larger interests of the party."
Refuting his claim, however, dissident leader Ramashish Rai said, "There is no question of budging from our single-point demand." The dissidents want the BJP to pull out all its ministers from the Mayawati government and extend only external support to the BSP.
Significantly, discontent is also simmering in the Rashtriya Lok Dal of Union Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh whose 14 legislators are also part of the ruling coalition. At least five of the members have begun criticising the government and Mayawati's "arbitrary" ways.
The trouble was sparked by the expansion of Mayawati's ministry on September 28. Several aspirants who had been left out raised the banner of revolt.
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