Kalyan at home, SP moves to block BSP

With former chief minister Kalyan Singh staying home due to toothache and fatigue and not talking to anyone except his party workers, the Sa...

With former chief minister Kalyan Singh staying home due to toothache and fatigue and not talking to anyone except his party workers, the Samajwadi Party today made a move to block the BSP’s chances of joining the Congress-led alliance.

Party general secretary Amar Singh said the SP was not averse to seat adjustments with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh for Lok Sabha polls, but added that it should be based on proportional representation. ‘‘It will not be logical if the Congress put its claim on 40 to 50 Lok Sabha seats. The SP had always been against communal forces and can never have an association with the alliance in which any party (read BSP) which had been associated with these forces had its representation,’’ he said.

‘‘The party is being projected as non-secular by some forces and especially the RSS. If we are not fighting forces of communalism, who is there to give them a befitting reply in UP,’’ Singh said.

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Meanwhile, BJP sources said the party would have to rethink taking back Kalyan especially after his meeting with Congress leaders and his praise for Sonia Gandhi. This explains why BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu ruled out any proposal on Kalyan, when Union MoS Swami Chinmayanand was dropping hints of the former CM returning to the BJP at Kalyan’s birthday party last evening.

‘‘Kalyan’s praise for Sonia will prompt the party leadership to think again,’’ said a senior party functionary, on condition of anonymity.

The Kalyan camp, however, felt that things have moved so fast that the former CM would have to take a decision soon. Or else, he would be left in the lurch.