Mishra denies announcing poll truck with BSP

LUCKNOW, SEPT 22: Uttar Pradesh BJP president Kalraj Mishra has ruled out the possibility of the party having any truck with the Bahujan S...

LUCKNOW, SEPT 22: Uttar Pradesh BJP president Kalraj Mishra has ruled out the possibility of the party having any truck with the Bahujan Samaj Party BSP in the Assembly elections expected early next year. 8220;I never said in Delhi that my party would have an alliance with the BSP,8221; he said here today, referring to a statement attributed to him.

The report had evoked a sharp reaction from the BJP as also its allies in the state. JBSP leader Markandey Chand had criticised the alleged move, saying an alliance with the BSP would be a blunder by the BJP and would amount to digging its own grave. Markandey had said that his party would now have to knock on the doors of other parties.

Mishra said: 8220;We would decide on the election strategy at a meeting with the allied parties 8212; Loktantrik Congress Party, Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party JBSP, Janata Dal Raja Ram and some Independents.8221; He said he was sure that along with these, his party would secure an absolute majority and form the government in the state.

8220;Because Mayawati is a good friend of mine, the people spread all sorts of rumours,8221; Mishra said, adding that he was friendly even to Mulayam Singh and leaders of other parties. 8220;But it doesn8217;t mean that I will keep trying to have a poll pact with them,8221; he said.

When his attention was drawn to LCP president Naresh Aggarwal8217;s statement 8212; that there would be President8217;s Rule in the state after creation of Uttaranchal 8212; the UP BJP chief said he would have to speak to Aggarwal to know in which context he had made the statement. When asked if the two parties would continue as allies, Mishra said: 8220;It is up to them.8221;

He claimed that in some respects, his party8217;s government in the state was better than the earlier governments. It had made remarkable achievements despite facing a cash crunch which the previous governments did not have, he said.

On the differences that have cropped up among leaders of the Etah community on the rape charges against Sakshi Maharaj, Mishra said it was not surprising. Some BJP MLAs reportedly want the case to be hushed up, describing Durga Bharati as an agent of Senior Superintendent of Police Shitala Prasad Mishra, while others have demanded action against Sakshi Maharaj.

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Commenting on the Kisan Jagran Yatra Mishra would undertake from Nagla Chandrabhan in Mathura to Ramnagar in Varanasi shortly, he said he wanted to find out about the problems being faced by the farmers and make sure the various schemes for them were being implemented.