Dissidence in BJP grows: Kalyan Singh looks for options

Supporters of BJP candidate from Bulandshahar, raised slogans against Kalyan Singh and mobbed party chief Rajnath Singh at the party headquarters on Monday.

Kalyan Singh, the former UP chief minister, has again shown signs of getting close to Samajwadi Party. Kalyan's son has not been given ticket from the Bulandshahar constituency where the party has fielded Ashok Pradhan.

Upset over the denial of ticket, Singh's supporters have allegedly been working against the official BJP candidate in Bulandshahar and holding rallies against Pradhan.

This infuriated Pradhan and sections of BJP workers who reached the national capital and raised slogans, demanding expulsion of Kalyan Singh from the party. Singh, who had been awarded a day's sentence and sent to jail for demolition of Babri Masjid, was once posterboy of Hindutva in UP.

He was earlier also expelled from the BJP and had floated his Rashtriya Kranti Party (RKP). He had also joined Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP but later returned to the BJP. Now he wants his son, Rajvir Singh, to be given ticket.

SP supremo Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh have already met Kalyan, who is again likely to leave BJP. Kalyan Singh is considered an important leader of the backward Lodh caste.

The caste group has a substantial presence in Western UP and other parts of the state. His exit from BJP can cause further damage as the BJP is already struggling for survival in Uttar Pradesh.

Dissidents like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Madanlal Khurana and Uma Bharti are already holding parleys and plan to foil LK Advani's bid for the post of next Prime Minister of India.

TIH Bureau