BJP suspends Uma brother

BJP MLA Swami Prasad Lodhi, elder brother of Union Minister Uma Bharti, was suspended from the party today for indiscipline. Lodhi has been...

BJP MLA Swami Prasad Lodhi, elder brother of Union Minister Uma Bharti, was suspended from the party today for indiscipline.

Lodhi has been served a showcause notice based on media reports according to which Lodhi had expressed a desire to join the Congress and praised the secular nature of the party.

The step had been in the offing for some time given the difference between the siblings. Congress Chief Minister Digvijay Singh had reportedly been courting Lodhi for some time.

So much so that in course of Digvijay8217;s visits to Tikamgarh, Lodhi had accompanied him to public meetings.

In fact, a switch by the Bada Malhera MLA was always a possibility and it was only the timing that was in question. And in the political circles in the state, the timing of Lodhi8217;s statement is being linked to Uma8217;s taking charge of the BJP campaign in the state.

Over the past month, her public meetings have enthused the party cadre. While the action against her brother is unlikely to have a direct impact on the campaign, it is an embarrassment for the BJP.

Digvijay has already caught the Sangh leadership off-guard by attacking the RSS for failing to hand over the land next to the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain and this is seen as another tactical blow aimed at unsettling the BJP.

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Congress general secretary Ambika Soni, Digvijay and former MP chief minister Arjun Singh met at Soni8217;s residence on Wednesday night to discuss the party election strategy for the state. The idea of using Lodhi to deflate Uma8217;s campaign is believed to have figured at the meeting.

The exact cause for the brother-sister feud is not known. Bharti is known for her temper, while Lodhi has been hobnobbing with Digvijay, known for his skill in winning friends and influencing people.

The BJP is believed to have decided to finally act against Lodhi after he reportedly stated at Tikamgarh on January 22 that he was holding talks with Digvijay on joining the Congress.

Reacting to his suspension from the BJP, Lodhi said: 8216;8216;A door has opened for me to go elsewhere. I will prefer joining the Congress, which maintains communal harmony.8217;8217;

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He also claimed that the action taken against him was not due to anti-party activities 8216;8216;but on a directive by Uma due to personal enmity. I had only uttered some sentences against Uma.

8220;I have not spoken a word against the BJP. If what I said is construed as indiscipline, then Uma8217;s description of L.K. Advani as an opportunist before the 1996 polls was also an act of indiscipline.8217;8217;

Bharti, away on a tour, was not available for comments.