NEW DELHI, February 27: The BJP is reportedly trying to persuade the 19-member Loktantrik Congress Party (LCP) in UP to merge with the party in order to impart a measure of stability to the Kalyan Singh government. Sources said that negotiations for ministries as well as for a merger were going on simultaneously in Lucknow.Kalyan Singh's pyrrhic victory in UP yesterday has ensured that the State remains a trouble-spot for the BJP, whose leaders will now have to address the problem of how to run the hotchpotch government smoothly. Senior party leaders, including Atal Behari Vajpayee, Kalyan Singh and UP State unit president Raj Nath Singh are expected to meet here over the weekend to take stock of the situation as well as discuss ministry formation.There are serious doubts among the BJP leaders on the advisability of continuing to run a government that owes its razor-thin majority to the uncertain support of the LCP and Janata Dal (Rajaram group). Such an inherently unstable government would not be ableto achieve much, it is felt.However, the move to take in the LCP is frowned upon by a section of the BJP State unit which fears opposition from the party rank and file. Besides, the LCP may not agree to the proposal as the MLAs would lose their bargaining power if they merge with the BJP.A debate is on within the party whether to go in for dissolution of the UP State Assembly so that the BJP can get a fresh mandate hopefully a clear majority. But this decision will depend on how well the BJP fares in UP the parliamentary elections and, equally if not more important, if the BJP and its allies succeed in forming a government at the Centre.If the BJP sweeps UP and also manages to form a government in Delhi, Kalyan Singh is likely to be under pressure from the leadership to dissolve the assembly. He has the unenviable task of continually meeting the demands of his supporting parties, particularly the LCP whose MLAs will extract a heavy price for their support.According to sources, Kalyan Singhhimself would not be inclined to dissolve the assembly since elections are always a gamble. Besides, there is a possibility that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party might come together to defeat the BJP in UP - as they did earlier this week to bring the Kalyan Singh government down.Party spokesman K L Sharma gave an indication of this today saying: ``UP is a trailer, giving a glimpse of what is going to happen in future. The BSP, SP and Congress are likely to gang up against the BJP.'' Sharma reiterated the BJP's demand that UP Governor Romesh Bhandari be recalled forthwith.Criticising the Union Cabinet for not discussing the UP situation at its meeting today, Sharma said that this led to the suspicion that the Governor was being protected and defended by the Prime Minister and the UF government.Meanwhile, the BJP has condemned CNN for using India's map minus Jammu and Kashmir. An article on CNN's Internet site carried such a map, photocopies of which were circulated at the BJP's pressbriefing today. Demanding strong action from the government, Sharma said that CNN should refrain from using the map again.
