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Journalism of Courage
For the BJP, it8217;s a season of birthday politics. With former chief minister Kalyan Singh choosing the eve of Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee8217;s birthday to send out feelers of his return to the BJP fold, the party may well pay him back in the same coin by announcing a formal decision on the issue on the eve of his birthday on January 4.
Kalyan will turn 70 on January 5 and has called a meeting of his Rashtriya Kranti Party RKP workers, office bearers and legislators at his 2, Mall Avenue residence on January 4 to thrash out a strategy on how the party 8216;8216;could play an effective role in politics8217;8217;.
8216;8216;If the game is of birthday politics, the BJP can also give him a similar surprise a formal announcement of his joining the BJP on January 4,8217;8217; said a senior BJP functionary.
So far, no senior BJP leader from the state has met Kalyan after he shared tea with the PM at BJP leader Lalji Tandon8217;s residence last evening. Meanwhile, senior party workers are also avoiding being seen at his residence till a formal announcement is made.
However, the phone at 2, Mall Avenue Kalyan8217;s official residence continues to ring incessantly. 8216;8216;The BJP workers from distant districts rejoiced after I met the PM and kept congratulating me till late in the night,8217;8217; said Kalyan Singh.
8216;8216;The RKP has a coalition with Mulayam Singh Yadav and that will continue,8217;8217; said Kalyan. However, Kalyan8217;s move upset Chief Minister Mulayam Singh so much so that the latter, instead of going himself to see off the PM at the airport, sent Cabinet Minister Reoti Raman Singh instead.
Throughout the day today, Mulayam Singh avoided the media and no SP leader was willing to come on record as to why Kalyan had gone to meet the PM. BJP sources say that the message for Kalyan to accompany the PM to Tandon8217;s place had come directly from the PMO and that Tandon was asked to convey the same to the ex-CM and that too after the PM had arrived in Lucknow.
Insiders say the PM, while leaving for the airport, told him: 8216;8216;Acha Kalyan, phir milenge Ok Kalyan, we will meet again8217;8217; to which he replied: 8216;8216;Aap jab kahenge hazir ho jaoonga Whenever you call, I8217;ll come8217;8217;.
Senior BJP leaders admitted that the BJP workers who had been disenchanted for the last few years could also be enthused with Kalyan8217;s return to the party, but they also added that the party should not expect a miracle with his return.
8216;8216;Kalyan had earned the image of a Hindu leader and after his expulsion, he became a caste leader. Now it depends on him as to how soon he regains that image as being with Mulayam he has lost the pro-Hindu image,8217;8217; said a senior leader.
