Rumblings in Lucknow

In what way the political tremors in Uttar Pradesh registered on the BJP8217;s seismograph in Panaji is not known. With the ground heaving beneath the government at the Centre, everything else, including Kalyan Singh8217;s latest troubles, must appear crushingly irrelevant to the leadership. Certainly, even though other more remote matters from NATO to the WTO were touched upon in the resolutions at Panaji, not much was heard about that old BJP favourite, party discipline. Khushabhau Thakre did set out his vision of a party of austerity, simplicity and dedication but that is unlikely to have as much impact on the warring factions in Lucknow as fear of political after-shocks from Delhi. This could work to Kalyan Singh8217;s advantage by quietening things temporarily and giving him time to try and win back disgruntled MLAs. But neither the chief minister nor national party bosses can pretend fault-lines do not exist in the political establishment in UP and could have become deeper with the Devendra Singh Bholeaffair.

Bhole who resigned recently as minister of state for family welfare hardly appears to have the makings of a rebel leader. His own controversial past and the circumstances in which he resigned reduce the credibility of the charges of corruption that he made subsequently against Kalyan Singh. Nevertheless it has been an embarrassment for Singh who has had to contend not only with opposition demands for a CBI enquiry, but also last week8217;s threats of resignation from some 50 BJP MLAs. These letters of resignation were sent to party president, Thakre, from Bhole8217;s residence suggesting that he was the focus of dissidence. But this may only be a matter of convenience for the hard-core anti-Kalyan Singh faction consisting, reportedly, of party president Rajnath Singh and other senior party leaders. There is no evidence that Singh has even now been able to find a modus vivendi with the old warhorses, Lalji Tandon and Kalraj Mishra, who were not reconciled to his elevation as chief minister earlier orthis time around. Caste undoubtedly plays a major part in the dispute given the relentless mobilisation of support on caste lines by senior BJP leaders and indeed all politicians in UP. But rival ambitions can also be seen behind the manoeuvres.

Whatever view the party leadership eventually takes of this controversy, it will not go to Kalyan Singh8217;s credit that he is so little able to manage the state unit effectively. From the start of his current tenure, there have been constant rumblings of discontent among legislators in Lucknow. Nor are Singh8217;s relations with the organisational wing anything to boast about. At the first state political conclave in Varanasi last month which was intended to bridge the differences between the government and the party, things turned out otherwise when Singh8217;s alleged challenge to his opponents to force a dissolution of the government had the effect of worsening relations. All this indicates that party bosses will have to ask themselves sooner or later whether a change ofleadership in UP will not improve the functioning of the party and the government.