Gathering storm

The Opposition is enjoying the show and is waiting to cash in on the BJP8217;s problems. quot;The Bahujan Samaj Party will support if a Vaghela rises in Uttar Pradesh,quot; said BSP vice-president and former chief minister Mayawati.

For a cadre-based party which has always boasted of discipline, the goings-on in theUP unit are embarrassing and unprecedented. No longer able to paper over the cracks and blame them on the media, the central leadership of the party has swung into action and begun damage-control exercises.

State party leaders including the Chief Minister have been called to Delhi by the party chief Kushabhau Thakre to prevent Uttar Pradesh from going the Gujarat way.

The problem in the BJP is the clear emergence of two parallel power centres, one headed by Kalyan and the other by State party chief Rajnath Singh. Each leader has his own group of legislators and ministers.

Rajnath had played the role of a troubleshooter in October when Mayawati pulled the rug to topple the Kalyan government. It was Rajnath who coaxed MLAs into the BJP camp from other parties to give a fresh lease of life to the Kalyan Government. He was also instrumental in taking the flock of more than 220 legislators to Rashtrapati Bhavan after the United Front Cabinet recommended the government8217;s dismissal.

Though Rajnath became afavourite of Kalyan Singh, the honeymoon did not last too long. Kalyan found in him someone who was rising in stature to challenge his authority in the State. Rajnath too had overreacted making Kalyan suspicious. The State party chief began taking interest in transfers of officials and other affairs of governance besides giving a patient hearing to those having a grouse against the functioning of the Chief Minister.

To cut Rajnath to size, Kalyan participated in the Kshtriya Sammelan organised by an MLC Ajit Singh and the controversial corporator Kusum Rai whose proximity to the Chief Minister has raised eyebrows in political and bureaucratic circles. Rajnath, a Thakur, was not invited to the Sammelan while Kalyan left the party8217;s national executive committee meeting in New Delhi on April 12 to attend the Sammelan. The Sammelan was in fact an attempt by Kalyan supporters to project him as the leader of the masses and not just of his Lodh caste.

The next day, Rajnath came out against the CM8217;s participationin the much-publicised meet. He said senior leaders should avoid taking part in meetings organised by members of particular castes. Kalyan, however, went ahead and participated in a Dalit Sammelan in Hapur on April 14. It did not cut much ice with the Dalits who consider him anti-Dalit after his decision to dilute the SC/ST Prevention and Atrocities Act which was blatantly misused during the tenure of Mayawati.

The Kalyan-Rajnath fight took another twist last week when Kusum Rai in an interview to a local daily accused certain leaders close to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee trying to tarnish image of the Chief Minister. quot;I know the motive of these leaders and will disclose their names at an opportune time,quot; she said. Though did not name them, it was obvious that she meant Rajnath and Urban Development Minister Lalji Tandon. The Chief Minister also gave a series of interviews alleging that a section of leaders within the BJP was trying to tarnish his image.

Kalyan-Tandon rivalry is older. Tandon, whowas Vajpayee8217;s campaign manager in Lucknow during the parliamentary elections, was labelled Mayawati8217;s yes-man by the Kalyan camp in the days of the BSP-BJP government. Another BJP bigwig, PWD Minister Kalraj Mishra too was not in Kalyan8217;s good books during the Mayawati days, but soon came back to him while Tandon remained a key anti-Kalyan player.

The situation is getting worse. A group of over two dozen MLAs met senior functionaries of the party in New Delhi earlier this month and complained against the autocratic functioning of Kalyan. The BJP allies in the State have also met party leaders and accused Kalyan of not listening to them and running the government on quot;his ownquot;.

quot;The state BJP is passing through a delicate phase and may split if the central leadership does not take immediate steps to contain strong anti-Kalyan sentiments within the party,quot; said a senior party leader. Though that may be an exaggeration, the BJP is clearly divided on leadership and that is something a party which walks thetightrope in the Assembly cannot afford to allow.

WHO SAID WHAT

quot;A section of leaders in the party is trying to tarnish my image. They are hitting below the belt,quot; 8212; Kalyan Singh

quot;There are a few leaders closer to Atalji trying to project the Chief Minister in a bad shape,quot; 8212; Kusum Rai

quot;The State party chief should take cognizance of statements made by party workers. These developments have pained me a lot. The Chief minister should also see how secret documents are being leaked to the press,quot; 8212; Lalji Tandon

The reference was to the leakage of the CAG report on the Ambekar Udyan Project

quot;I have no ambition to become chief minister. There are no bickerings within the BJP. All is the creation of the media,quot; 8212; Rajnath Singh

quot; The party in Uttar Pradesh is united. There are no differences or a power struggle to oust Kalyan,quot; 8212; Kalraj Mishra