The Hindu : Government can do without Kalyan, says SP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 04, 2004

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Other States - Uttar Pradesh

Government can do without Kalyan, says SP

By J P Shukla

LUCKNOW, FEB. 3 .The Samajwadi Party today claimed that the decision of the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, to merge his Rashtriya Kranti Party with the Bharatiya Janata Party would have no impact on the functioning of the State Government.

Reacting to the day's developments with Mr Kalyan Singh rushing to New Delhi to announce his return to the BJP, the U.P. Samajwadi Party president, Ram Saran Das, said the ruling alliance led by his party was strong enough to remain in office even without RKP. It was the desire of the SP to retain Mr Singh as an ally. But now that he had left the coalition, the Government would do without him, he added.

The UP Congress legislature party leader, Pramod Tiwari, described the decision of Mr Singh as a dangerous step for himself. "The BJP had never forgiven any one who parted company with it at any stage. The case of Balraj Madhok was there for every one to judge the behaviour of the saffron forces. Kalyan Singh would have to repent in the long run'', the Congress leader added. The BJP cadres have, however, got solace that the political base of the party would get at least some boost with the coming back of Kalyan Singh. He had been known as the backward face of the party in U.P. for decades. He had remained in the vanguard of the Ram temple movement and owned the responsibility for the demolition of the Babri mosque when he was the Chief Minister. Now he has once again reiterated his credentials as a "Ram Bhakt''. That would certainly inspire BJP workers every where and improve the chances of the party during the coming Lok Sabha elections, said local BJP leaders.

The BJP, however, suffered a jolt during the day with its MLA from Amethi and former Minister, Amita Singh, tendering her resignation from the primary membership of the party as also from the State Assembly. Giving reasons for leaving the BJP, Mrs Singh, criticised the BJP leader, Pramod Mahajan, for making "unbecoming'' remarks against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra. "Such remarks would come from some one who was mentally sick'', she said in a statement .

The BJP leadership had taken exception to Amita Singh, wife of Sanjay Singh, the former MP from Amethi, having attended some functions organised by the Congress along with her husband during the recent visit to Amethi of the Gandhi children. She had been issued a show cause notice to explain her conduct by the State BJP leadership. Amita Singh said she could have been expelled from the BJP in any case and thought it better to quit on her own.

The Congress described her decision as a bold step and congratulated her for her rebuff to Pramod Mahajan.

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