Ram Prakash Gupta elected leader
Kalyan quits, says no to Central post

LUCKNOW, Nov 11 (PTI) — Mr Ram Prakash Gupta was today formally elected leader of the UP BJP Legislature Party shortly after the Chief Minister, Mr Kalyan Singh, resigned and proposed his name for the leadership to facilitate change of guard following the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Gupta’s name, proposed by Mr Kalyan Singh, was seconded by the Chief Minister’s detractors — the Urban Development Minister, Mr Lalji Tandon and the PWD Minister, Mr Kalraj Misra — as also the Irrigation Minister, Mr Om Prakash Singh, and the party leader in the legislative council, Mr Vindhyvasini Kumar.

The BJP President, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, and the General Secretary, Mr K.N. Govindacharya, were present at the meeting, which lasted about an hour and a half.

Earlier, Mr Kalyan Singh, accompanied by some of his Cabinet colleagues, called on the Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan, and submitted his resignation.

The Governor accepted the resignation and asked him to continue till alternative arrangements were made.

On return from Raj Bhawan, Mr Kalyan Singh told reporters at his official residence that he had resigned in deference to the wishes of the Prime Minister and declined comment on the party high command’s assertion that he had himself expressed a desire to relinquish charge.

He left nobody in doubt about his hurt feelings by reiterating that he would not accept any post in the Union Ministry or in the party.

‘‘I have requested the central leadership to let me remain an ordinary worker and it has been granted’’, he said.

Striking a defiant posture, he stuck to his statement made at Ayodhya on Tuesday last that the party should not have put on the back-burner the Ram temple issue, and added that it was on ‘‘my personal agenda’’.

Refusing to offer any comment when asked whether a sustained campaign was launched to remove him from the Chief Minister’s post, he said, ‘‘I do not want to create any bitterness by commenting on this matter’’.

‘‘I too have many things to say, but I would not say anything as it would create bitterness’’, he said.

Stating that he felt ‘happy’ and ‘relaxed’ after resigning, he said he had no ‘regrets’ about any of the decisions taken by him during his tenure lasting two years and 40 days.

Meanwhile, the Governor invited Mr Gupta to form a new ministry after he, accompanied by senior leaders of his party and allies, called on him to stake his claim.

The state BJP chief, Mr Rajnath Singh formally handed over a letter confirming Mr Gupta’s election as the leader to the Governor, claiming that the new leader enjoyed a majority support of 222 in the 425-member assembly.

Mr Suraj Bhan told newsmen that he was inviting Mr Gupta to be sworn in tomorrow at 5.30 p.m. along with his council of ministers.

Mr Gupta later told reporters the size of his ministry would be same as that of his predecessor.