Kalyan Singh self-assured on retaining office

The UP Chief Minister does not appear to be his usual effusive self who used to offer his trade-mark quot;Kalyani teaquot; made of milk only to visitors. 8220;I have nothing to say today8221;, he says at the very outset. Most of the political questions draw only a blank stare. 8220;Have you come to me for a story? Main to khud kahani ban gaya hoon I myself have become a story8221;, he says laconically.

He does break his silence but only to refute reports doubting his continuance in the office. 8220;There should be no speculation on this score after Thakreji himself ruled out any change in UP yesterday8221;, he said. He hopes to meet party chief Kushabhau Thakre and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, before he leaves for Lucknow on November 4.

People should not believe that the two-day BJP National Executive starting on Wednesday, would decide any change of guard in UP, he said. 8220;The executive will witness a mere State-wise reporting on our electoral performance. There can be no in-depth analysis within 25-30 minutes allotted to each state8221;, he emphasised.

No one needs to fathom the reason for his confidence, as the Chief Minister8217;s face lights up as soon as the conversation veers towards his achievements during past two years. 8220;I have done what no other chief minister in the country has done for his state 8212; devolving power to the grass-root level, to village panchayats8221;.

Turning philosophical, Kalyan says that this is the age of arth money and he had given powers of planning development for their area along with fianancial powers to grass-root level people. 8220;No bureaucrat or politician can eat away their share now8221;, he asserts.

But why then did people not recognise virtues of his novel scheme during recently held elections? 8220;They were probably not aware of actual import of the scheme. Financial sanctions could not be given during elections because of EC8217;s code of conduct and more importantly the party organisation failed to impress people with its State Government8217;s performance, Kalyan says.

The chief minister feels that the party does not require any other issue to content an election. It only has to trumpet around the slogan 8212; quot;power in hands of people and Government at their doorstepquot; 8212; coined by him. 8220;Once this is done effectively, see who can stop the BJP from winning every election in UP,8221; he says obviously with an eye of Assembly elections less than two years away.

However, what Kalyan does not list as the reason for his continuance in the office, is the party leadership8217;s failure to find his substitute 8212; a person who matches him in administrative capabilities as well as political maneuovering.