Hectic activity in BJP over Kalyan
From T.V. Lakshminarayan
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 8 — There was hectic activity in the Bharatiya Janata Party camp here today with strong indications available that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Kalyan Singh, was on his way out.

Senior party leaders from the State came to the Capital and held parleys with the Central leadership to discuss the imminent change.

Reports from Lucknow said that the Chief Minister had already started packing his baggage and was awaiting a final directive from the Central leadership. Mr Kalyan Singh, who initially had refused to step down, seems to have been convinced by the Central leadership to opt for the change during the two-day National Executive Committee meeting of the party here last week. Mr Kalyan Singh has since gone on record saying he would step down if the Prime Minister asked him to do so.

State BJP units' leaders and strong contenders for the Chief Ministership, Mr Kalraj Mishra, Mr Lalji Tandon and State party President, Mr Rajnath Singh, arrived here this afternoon. The UP Assembly Speaker, Mr Kesri Nath Tripathi, is also a strong candidate for the Chief Minister’s post.

The party high command would be holding meetings with the UP leaders tomorrow, after the State Chief Minister arrives. Mr Kalyan Singh was in Aligarh today and was expected to stay there tonight. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, is also slated to hold separate discussions with party President, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, Mr Advani and senior party leaders from the State, including Mr Kalyan Singh.

The Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, refused to comment on when the change in leadership would take place but added that a decision would be taken in the next two or three days.

Amidst talk of a change in the leadership, a section of people loyal to Mr Kalyan Singh mounted a fresh offensive to stay the change.

Kalyan Singh loyalists said a change in the UP leadership, especially as the Chief Minister belonged to the backward class, could affect the party’s prospects in the forthcoming assembly polls in Bihar. They are also lobbying for Mr Kalyan Singh to be made the Bihar Governor or a Central Minister in case he is replaced.

The Chief Minister on his part has been briefing the various sections of the Sangh Parivar about the reasons that led to the party’s poor performance in the recent general elections.

He met the UP Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan, last night at Lucknow Raj Bhavan. Mr Bhan has since left for Ambala.

The National Executive Committee of the BJP last week, had talked of taking corrective steps in UP, Karnataka and Punjab in the light of the general elections results.

Mr Advani had singled out UP for mention in his speech during the National Executive Committee meeting and had pointed out that but for the poor showing in the State, the BJP would have managed to secure more than 200 seats on its own.

The party which won 57 seats in the 1998 general election suffered major reverses this time with the tally coming down to 29.