Rebels too few to rock UP boat

Party general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi claimed that ‘‘there is absolutely no threat to the Mayawati government’’. While he said there were only ‘‘some stray cases of dissidence which have been sorted out’’, the party isn’t taking any chances and senior leaders like Rajnath Singh, state in-charge Kalraj Mishra and UP BJP president Vinay Katiyar are still camping in Lucknow to keep the situation under control.

Wondering whether the flaw lay in the ‘‘inetritva (leadership), niyat (intention) or niti (policy)’’, party vice-president Pyarelal Khandelwal said: ‘‘It is upsetting that a senior leader of Ganga Bhakt Singh’s stature has revolted. He is no upstart. He had been with the party since the Jana Sangh days.’’

He confessed that even though the high command had overcome the rebellion, ‘‘our image of a disciplined party has suffered. At a time when we are talking of enforcing greater discipline in the organisation, such developments are not a good omen. There is a need to check personal ambition among party members.’’

Yet, he said, he didn’t foresee a split in the state unit. His reason being that the dissidents were more unhappy with the situation and ‘‘therefore, there is no chance of a fall of the government.’’

In Lucknow, the rebels stuck to their stand even as the SP, that seemed all set to topple the government, conceded that ‘‘the dissidents lack the numbers required’’.

The dissident group repeated its demands that BJP Legislature Party leader Lalji Tandon be replaced and all ministers quit the ministry to support Mayawati government from outside. Claiming the support of 33 MLAs, of which 29 were present at last night’s meeting of the dissident group here, Ganga Bhakt Singh.ruled out talks with the state BJP leadership.