The Hindu : Temple issue will dominate polls: Kalyan Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 06, 2004

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National

Temple issue will dominate polls: Kalyan Singh

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW, FEB. 5. The Ram temple issue will in any case dominate the Bharatiya Janata Party campaign during the Lok Sabha elections, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, said here today on his return after announcing the merger of his Rashtriya Kranti Party with the BJP in New Delhi.

"Atalji ka naam, Atalji ka kaam aur sabke upar Ram" was the phrase used by Mr. Singh to emphasise the "importance" of the temple issue during the BJP's election campaign.

It was quite obvious, he said, that the temple issue would dominate the political debate in the country till such time when the temple was completed. The idol of Ramlala was there and if efforts were made to remove it, the situation might lead to "bloodshed."

Mr. Singh, who described himself as an ordinary BJP worker, was given a tumultuous welcome by party workers here. Later, he addressed a press conference in the presence of the State BJP chief, Vinay Katiyar.

Fielding embarrassing questions on his bitter comments made after he had left the BJP four years ago, he said all that was a "thing of the past." He had sought "forgiveness" for all that from the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the new situation had been accepted by everyone. During his train journey from Delhi, BJP workers had come in large numbers to greet him and he was touched.

Mr. Singh claimed that the BJP would win 58 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, plus or minus two seats.

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