The Hindu : National : Efforts to patch up Naidu-Bharti differences

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Tuesday, Sep 28, 2004

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National

Efforts to patch up Naidu-Bharti differences

By Neena Vyas

The Bharatiya Janata Party president, Venkaiah Naidu, with the senior party leader, Uma Bharti, at a party function in New Delhi on Monday. — AP

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 27. Hectic efforts were made by the Bharatiya Janata Party to patch up differences between the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Uma Bharti, and the party president, Venkaiah Naidu, through a round of meetings today. Later, at a public meeting here, Ms. Bharti was "felicitated" on the conclusion of her 15-day "tiranga yatra." There the media were criticised for reports of a spat between0 the two and it was declared that there were no differences in the party.

The Leader of the Opposition, L.K. Advani, said that although there was no objection [from the party] to her statement made during the `yatra' that she would like to proceed on a two-year `Bharat yatra,' "there was objection to her announcement that she would do so after quitting politics ... we will not allow her to quit politics." Earlier, speaking at the function, Mr. Naidu said that any future plan for a `yatra' would be decided by the party collectively, and that "no one can decide on their own." He said the party functioned with decisions taken collectively. "We are not individual leaders ... it is the ideology which inspires us all ... We are all part of the BJP and the party is supreme, above all individuals."

In the morning Ms. Bharti met Mr. Naidu — their first one-on-one meeting after the spat between them over telephone about 10 days ago — and she also met Mr. Advani. Mr. Naidu later said that all issues were discussed but party leaders were tightlipped about what transpired. A party leader insisted that it was Mr. Advani who "instructed" Ms. Bharti to call on Mr. Naidu.

Separately, setting at rest the speculation that the BJP may replace the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, the incumbent, Babulal Gaur, said: "I have been told that I have to work till the end of the tenure and I am working on that basis. I cannot say anything more."

Dig at party chief

Mr. Naidu emphasised that the "tiranga yatra" was conceived and organised by the party, a fact that Ms. Bharti also acknowledged in her speech. She thanked all the party leaders and workers who had helped her make the `yatra' a success. But she also said: "I felt [during the `yatra'] that I was only the `danda' [stick] which holds the flag and which is discarded by everyone and thrown away when in the evening the flag is respectfully folded and put aside." She also took a dig at Mr. Naidu saying that "the man who had performed the `havana' [a reference to organisation of the `yatra'] had burnt his hands."

Senior party leaders said that at one stage the "Uma Bharti camp" had tried to suggest that the party general secretary, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, be sent as State unit president to Madhya Pradesh. It seems the idea is to create a vacancy in the post of general secretary which she could fill. However, a senior party leader said that nothing would be done to change the present State president, Kailash Joshi, till the Maharashtra elections were over.

He also pointed out that since Mr. Gaur belonged to a backward caste, the party could not have a backward caste State unit president — a reference to Mr. Chauhan's backward caste status.

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