NEW DELHI, April 29: The Bharatiya Janata Party high command is understood to have rejected Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh's proposal to dissolve the state assembly and go in for fresh elections in the state. Singh met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee this morning and Home Minister and BJP president L K Advani yesterday to discuss the crisis in the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit.Taking a tough stand with both the pro-and anti-Kalyan Singh groups, top party leaders are learnt to have instructed the bickering leaders to mend their fences and refrain from airing their differences in public as this was damaging the party's image. Sources said the party leadership has ruled out replacing Singh as is being demanded by a powerful section of state leaders.
BJP leaders have made it clear to warring UP satraps that the interests of the Central government should be kept in the forefront. Efforts to reach a settlement are likely to be made next week in Gandhinagar during the BJP's National Council meeting onMay 2, 3 and 4 when all senior leaders, chief ministers and state unit presidents will be present.
According to party insiders, Kalyan Singh was also given a gentle rap on the knuckles and told to improve his style of functioning. On his part, Singh is said to have denied charges that he was not accessible to party MLAs and workers. He explained that he had set aside specific hours to meet MLAs, BJP workers.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
